South Korean bass-baritone Sungmin Park has won the 44th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, held in Jūrmala, Latvia. Iranian soprano Forooz Razavi took second prize and also received the International Media Jury Prize, while another South Korean singer, bass-baritone Son Jin Kim, was awarded third prize.
The final gala took place on 7 June at the Dzintari Concert Hall, where nine finalists performed with orchestra under the direction of Mārtiņš Ozoliņš. The finalists emerged from a field of 122 singers representing 34 countries who travelled to Latvia after qualifying through 51 preliminary rounds held around the world.
Widely regarded as one of the leading international competitions for emerging opera singers, the Belvedere Competition serves as a meeting point between young artists and representatives of major opera houses, casting agencies, and artist management organisations. This year’s edition once again offered participants the opportunity to secure professional engagements and coaching opportunities in addition to competition prizes.
Among the special awards, Razavi received an engagement with the Wexford Festival Opera, while Latvian soprano Annija Kristiana Adamsone won the Audience Prize.
Several singers also received invitations, auditions, or engagement opportunities from prominent institutions. These included the Royal Opera House, the Dutch National Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and several German opera companies.
Jūrmala hosted the final rounds of the competition for the fourth time, continuing its role as one of the principal venues for the Belvedere Competition, which was founded in 1982 by Austrian impresario Hans Gabor and has helped launch the careers of numerous opera singers over the past four decades.
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