The Queen Sonja Singing Competition 2025 concluded in Oslo on 22 August with soprano Kathleen O’Mara (USA) winning first prize. The final was held at the Oslo Concert Hall in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Sonja, with the Oslo Philharmonic accompanying the six finalists under the direction of the jury chaired by Randi Stene, Artistic Director of the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.
Second prize went to mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall (USA), while bass Paweł Horodyski (Poland) received third prize.
Kathleen O’Mara
Currently a member of LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, O’Mara is also a 2024 recipient of the Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation. She made her LA Opera debut in 2023 as Berta in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, a role she will reprise for her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2025. At LA Opera she has also appeared as Erste Zofe in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg under the baton of James Conlon.
A native of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, O’Mara studied at the Juilliard School (MM) and Westminster Choir College (BM).
About the competition
Founded more than 30 years ago, the Queen Sonja Singing Competition is one of the world’s leading contests for young singers, bringing together artists born in 1993 or later from across the globe. Beyond the main prizes, participants receive masterclasses, coaching, career development sessions, and international exposure.
The 2025 jury included leading casting directors and managers such as Tatjana Kandel (Danish National Symphony Orchestra), Michael Heaston (Metropolitan Opera), Christina Scheppelmann (La Monnaie), Alex Taylor (Oslo Philharmonic), and Carolin Wielpütz (MusikTheater an der Wien). The Grand Final was presented by mezzo-soprano Jasmin White, herself a former winner of the competition.
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