AGORA
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
2026
In honor of Francesco Meli
A COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL
IN VERONA
The second edition of the competition will be held in the city of VERONA at the CIRCOLO UNIFIED dell'esercito in CASTELVECCHIO.
The first edition of the competition was a success on many levels: there were numerous entries, placing it among the top competitions in Italy with a prize pool of €11,000.
The aim of the competition is to promote opera singing, closely connected to our region, home to the world's largest open-air opera house, and at the same time provide a platform for young artists and their careers.
The Main Sponsor of the competition is the Ferrari Salimbeni Foundation , strongly supported by Ferruccio Salimbeni and established in August 2021.
The Foundation was born from the great passion for opera of its two founding members, Dr. Maurizio Ferrari and Dr. Ferruccio Salimbeni, both managers of leading international companies. Entrepreneurs known for their foresight and humanity have always given opera an important place in their lives, despite its burdens and responsibilities.
OUR COLLABORATIONS
The Main Sponsor of the competition is the Ferrari Salimbeni Foundation , strongly supported by Ferruccio Salimbeni and established in August 2021.
The Foundation was born from a great passion for opera of the two founding members Dr. Maurizio Ferrari and Dr. Ferruccio Salimbeni, both managers of leading international companies, entrepreneurs known for their foresight and humanity who have always
reserved an important place for opera music in their lives, even though it was full of burdens and responsibilities.
The organization of the Agorà Lyric World International Opera Competition wishes to express its deepest gratitude
to Giulietta Verona for creating the exclusive prizes dedicated to the winners.
With her artistic sensibility and extraordinary attention to detail, Giulietta Verona has transformed the essence of opera singing into unique objects, which are not just awards, but true works of art. The prizes they create express the beauty, passion, and value of artistic excellence, elements this competition aims to celebrate and promote.
This collaboration added a touch of prestige and poetry to the event, making the journey of the young talents being awarded even more special. Thank you , Giulietta Verona , for giving visible form to the invisible emotion of music.
Since 2014, Trivisual has transformed weddings, conferences, trade shows, and celebrations into unforgettable moments. Thanks to a combination of cutting-edge technology, aesthetic sensibility, and attention to detail, every event becomes an experience capable of inspiring authentic emotions. Each project is tailor-made and managed every step of the way, with discretion and precision, offering a comprehensive service throughout Italy. Lights, sounds, and images don't just fill a space, they transform it into a unique atmosphere, creating lasting memories.
For the first edition of the Agorà Lyric World International Competition, the association chose Trivisual as its technical partner: a collaboration that made the competition even more engaging and memorable.
The organizers of the Agorà Lyric World International Opera Competition wish to express their deepest gratitude to Giulietta Verona for creating the exclusive prizes dedicated to the winners.
With her artistic sensibility and extraordinary attention to detail, Giulietta Verona has transformed the essence of opera singing into unique objects, which are not just awards, but true works of art. The prizes they create express the beauty, passion, and value of artistic excellence, elements this competition aims to celebrate and promote.
This collaboration added a touch of prestige and poetry to the event, making the journey of the young talents awarded even more special.
Thank you, Giulietta Verona , for having been able to give visible form to the invisible emotion of music.
The 2026 edition of the Agorà Lyric World International Opera Competition will be a particularly important event in the world of opera: a special edition entirely dedicated to the great Italian tenor Francesco Meli , a key figure on the international opera scene.
An artist of extraordinary vocal and stage sensibility, a refined interpreter of the most celebrated roles in the Verdi and bel canto repertoire, Francesco Meli has combined technique, passion, and rigor in a career that has taken him to the world's most prestigious theaters. The competition aims to celebrate his artistic journey, inspiring new generations of opera singers through his example of excellence and dedication.
This edition will not only be a competition, but also a living tribute to the great Italian operatic tradition, embodied by one of its most luminous voices.
THE COMMISSION
The organizers of the Agorà Lyric World International Opera Competition wish to express their deepest gratitude to Giulietta Verona for creating the exclusive prizes dedicated to the winners.
With her artistic sensibility and extraordinary attention to detail, Giulietta Verona has transformed the essence of opera singing into unique objects, which are not just awards, but true works of art. The prizes they create express the beauty, passion, and value of artistic excellence, elements this competition aims to celebrate and promote.
This collaboration added a touch of prestige and poetry to the event, making the journey of the young talents awarded even more special.
Thank you, Giulietta Verona , for having been able to give visible form to the invisible emotion of music.
THE COMMISSION
President of the Commission
Francesco Meli
THE PREVIOUS EDITION
The first edition of the Agorà Lyric World International Competition concluded on March 1, 2025, an event that brought together talented young lyric singers from more than 30 countries in Verona.
The competition offered cash prizes worth a total of €11,000, as well as artistic engagements at prestigious theaters such as the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, the Teatro Bellini in Catania, the Teatro Opera Giocosa in Savona, and the Sofia National Opera. Some artists also received representation from leading international agencies, such as Lirica International Opera Management and MC Domani.
A €1,000 scholarship was also awarded, offered by Maria Chiara Camponeschi Music & Art Production, to support the careers of emerging young talents. Furthermore, thanks to the contribution of the Ferrari Salimbeni Foundation, a €1,000 "Maurizio Ferrari" scholarship was awarded.
The jury was composed of leading figures from the international opera scene:
• Carlo Ventre – Tenor, President of the Commission
• Fabrizio Maria Carminati – Artistic Director, Bellini Theatre of Catania
• Giovanni Di Stefano – Artistic Director, Teatro Opera Giocosa of Savona
• Daniela Dominutti – Casting Manager, Nice Opera
• Francesca Pivetta – Assistant to the Artistic Director, Teatro Comunale di Bologna
• Liviana Caporale – Casting Manager, Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia
• Marco Impallomeni – MC Domani Agency
• Franco Silvestri – Lirica International Opera Management Agency
• Plamen Kartaloff – Artistic Director, Sofia National Opera
• Paolo Rodda – Artistic Director, Verdi Theatre of Trieste
• Paolo Vittorio Montanari – Casting Manager, Teatro Massimo in Palermo
• Renato Bonajuto – Vice President Agorà Lyric World, Director and Artistic Director of the Alfieri Theatre of Ast
THE LATEST WINNERS
Felix Park
1st Place
Carlo Ventre Special Award
€3,500.00
ROLE AWARD
Rigoletto - Opera Giocosa Theater of Savona
Alberto Comes
2nd Place
Agorà Lyric World Award
€2,500
MCDomani Award
by Marco Impallomeni
ROLE AWARD
Rigoletto - Savona
Ivan Tanushi
3rd Place
€1,500.00
Giacomo Puccini Award
€500.00
ROLE AWARD
The Pirate - Bellini Theater in Catania
Veronica Prando
Special Youth Award (18-24 years)
€500
ROLE AWARD
The Marriage of Figaro - Verdi Theater in Trieste
Daria Iakubchik
Maurizio Ferrari Scholarship
€1000
Lirica International Opera Award
ROLE AWARD
The Turn Of Screw - Pisa
Chuanqi Xu
Audience Award
€500
Silvia Caliò
Agency Award
Lirica International Opera
ROLE AWARD
The Pirate - Bellini Theater in Catania
Omar Cepparolli
"Mozartian Voice" Award
Mozart Festival Concert 2026
