Opera’s brightest stars at Covent Garden

27 July 2012, 16:43 | Updated: 30 July 2012, 17:40

Seven opera singers including Joseph Calleja, Joyce DiDonato and Plácido Domingo took to the stage at the Royal Opera House for the Operalia Winners concert as part of the London 2012 festival.

Some of the world’s best opera singers joined forces on the Royal Opera House stage to perform in Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Winners on Wednesday. This concert marked the end of the season at Covent Garden.

Featuring a selection of winners of the Operalia festival, founded in 1993 by tenor superstar Placido Domingo himself, the concert included music from Wagner’s Die Walküre and Calleja and Domingo performing The Pearl Fishers duet.

Tenor Stefan Pop, and sopranos Julia Novikova and Sonya Yoncheva made their Covent Garden debuts, alongside Royal Opera House regulars Nina Stemme, Joseph Calleja, Rolando Villazón and Joyce DiDonato. Founder, 71-year-old Placido Domingo competed the stellar line up.

Domingo described the event as the “Olympic Games for opera” – unfortunately there has never been a British winner of the competiton. More than 1000 singers apply each year, of which 40 are invited to perform in a concert judged by opera experts.