Our mission is to identify and promote talent in the art of singing, offering a prestigious international platform where young artists can showcase their skills and reach new heights in their careers. We are committed to celebrating vocal excellence and artistic diversity, encouraging the development of participants. At the same time, we promote access to culture and the formation of new audiences for opera in Portugal and around the world.
Accessibility and Inclusion: We promote universal access to art, ensuring that opera is enjoyed by a diverse audience. We encourage an inclusive environment that values cultural and artistic diversity, offering participants opportunities to explore new approaches and repertoires.
Transparency and Fairness: We guarantee a fair and transparent process at every stage of the competition. Our evaluation criteria are clear and objective, ensuring that all participants have an equal opportunity to excel.
Promotion and Opportunities: We work to provide visibility and career opportunities for the winners and participants of the competition. We are members of international networks that encourage access to new audiences and opportunities on the international stage.
Gender Equality: We are committed to ensuring gender equality at all levels of the organization: jury and core team. We value equal opportunities and balance between men and women, reflecting our commitment to justice and fairness in all our practices.
Sustainability: We adopt sustainable practices in all our operations, with the aim of minimizing our environmental impact and promoting a greener future. Integrating a sustainability plan into our planning and execution is key to ensuring that our cultural initiatives benefit not only current generations, but also future ones.
Excellence and prestige: We value the pursuit of excellence in all stages of the competition, offering a prestigious space for young talent to shine. Our mission is to recognize and support the best artists, contributing to their growth and professional success.
Education and artistic development: We are committed to supporting the development of participants through constructive feedback and learning opportunities with excellent mentors. We seek to develop and implement educational programs that bring young people and communities closer to the art of singing. We facilitate audience mediation, bringing schools and diverse groups to attend auditions and concerts, enriching the cultural and educational experience.
Collaboration and Respect: We foster an environment of collaboration between artists, collaborators and partners, based on mutual respect and support for different perspectives. We believe that teamwork is essential to achieving our goals and creating exceptional artistic experiences.
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Over the past three decades, primarily in London, Portugal and Amsterdam, Dr Jorge Balça
has developed a strong portfolio of work and a unique combination of skillsets – as a stage
director (of theatre, opera, and hybrid forms), a teacher and workshop leader, a presentation
skills, acting and creativity coach, and practice-based researcher. His work in all these
domains is distinguished by his commitment to and skill in making fantasy and invention
emerge from precise knowledge and training – and by his ability to inspire a similar alchemy
in his collaborators.
Classically trained as an actor and countertenor, he studied theatre directing in London and
Moscow, specialising in Shakespeare, techniques of adaptation, Meyerhold and commedia
dell’arte. Jorge also holds a PhD exploring the dramatic training of opera performers.
With a love for site-specific projects and collaborative forms, and an equal flair for comedy
and drama, his work is dramaturgically inventive, visually striking, and physically engaged.
He was the artistic director of Bloomsbury Opera and associate director of The Opera
Makers, both in London. In Portugal, he has recently directed L’Heure Espagnole and The
Turn of the Screw at Centro Cultural de Belém, and Don Giovanni and La Voix Humaine at
Festival de Ópera de Óbidos.
Jorge is committed to his work as a teacher, having taught at the Dutch National Opera
Academy, Morley College London, Universidade de Évora and other institutions. He
maintains an international coaching private practice and is the acting coach at the Neil
Semer Vocal Institute in Italy.
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