American Barihunk Ed Parks takes 3rd at Operalia

Ed Parks performing at Operalia

American barihunk Ed Parks walked away with 3rd Prize and $10,000 at this year's Operalia Competition in London. He performed Rossini's Largo al factotum from the Barber of Seville in the final round.  Barihunks Tobias Greenhalgh from the U.S. and Bongani Justice Kubheka from South Africa also made it to the final round, where eleven singers competed.

Hunkentenor Ioan Hotea won over the hearts of viewers and judges

Norwegian dramatic soprano Lise Davidsen, who sang Dich, teure Halle from Wagner's Tannhäuser took 1st Prize for women. She also won the Audience Prize for female singers. Romanian hunkentenor Ioan Hotea, who sang Ah! mes amis from Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment took the top male singer prize. He also won the Zarzuela Prize for male singers. Darren Peni Pati took 2nd Prize for male singers, while Hyesang Park and Noluvuyiso Mpofu finished 2nd and 3rd respectively for women.

Other prizes included a Zarzuela Prize for South Korean soprano Hyesang Park and and Audience Prize for Darren Pene Pati.

Barihunks competing in Operalia finals

Edward Parks, Bongani Justice Kubheka & Tobias Greenhalgh

Three baritones, including two barihunks familiar to readers of this site have advanced the finals of Plácido Domingo's Operalia Competition, which is being held in London this year. Edward Parks and Tobias Greenhalgh, both of the U.S., have been featured on our site before. South African Bongani Justice Kubheka is new to our site.

Edward Parks and Tobias Greenhalgh have both opted to sing Rossini's Largo al factotum from Il barbiere di Siviglia, while Bongani Justice Kubheka has chosen to sing La calunnia from the same opera.

Other finalists include tenor Julien Behr (France); soprano Andrea Carroll (USA); soprano Lise Davidsen (Norway); tenor Ioan Hotea (Romania); soprano Kiandra Howarth (Australia); soprano Noluvuyiso Mpofu (South Africa); soprano Hyesang Park (South Korea); and tenor Darren Pene Pati (New Zealand). In addition to vying for the competition’s main prizes, Carroll, Hotea, Howawrth, Park and Pati will also compete for Operalia’s Zarzuela prize.

Sunday evening's Gala concert will feature Plácido Domingo conducting the orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Operalia will award two $30,000 first prizes, two $20,000 second prizes, and two $10,000 third prizes, with one male and one female singer receiving prizes in each category. In addition, one man and woman will each receive a $15,000 Birgit Nilsson prize for his or her performance of an aria by Richard Strauss or Richard Wagner. One male and one female singer will also be awarded the $10,000 Zarzuela prize, which is meant to encourage singers to work in the art form. There is also an Audience Prize.

Past Operalia winners have included Ainhoa Arteta, Nina Stemme, Brian Asawa, José Cura, Elizabeth Futral, Eric Owens, Erwin Schrott, Joyce DiDonato, Rolando Villazon, Joseph Calleja, Susanna Phillips, Ailyn Perez, Olga Peretyatko and Sonya Yoncheva.