The world-renowned opera competition Operalia made its historic debut in India early this week and going by the semi-finals, which was held on Tuesday, 17th September, at the Jamshed Bhabha auditorium, NCPA, there seems to be an enormous amount of talent bringing a new generation of opera stars.

Founded by legendary tenor Plácido Domingo in 1993, Operalia has been instrumental in discovering and nurturing young opera talent from around the globe. “I have to thank Chairman of NCPA, Mr Suntook for this great opportunity to bring Operalia to Mumbai. The planning began 3 years ago and so I am delighted to be back. After travelling the world since its foundation and taking it to various countries, it is my pleasure and privilege to bring the 31st edition of Operalia to India for the very first time. It is very special for me and also to return to Mumbai after so many years,” said the Spaniard at a press meet this afternoon.

Sharing the dais with his son Alvaro Domingo and Mr Khushroo Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, Domingo was happy to return to Mumbai after his first visit in 2008. “I remember Zubin Mehta inviting me in 2008 and I made my debut singing in a concert in celebration of his father, Mehli Mehta. I enjoyed visiting the country. I remember that the Symphony Orchestra of India didn’t exist at that time, but when I was playing with them in the last few days, I can tell you that they are immensely talented and I can’t wait to play with them at the finals on Saturday,” expressed Domingo, who also spoke highly on the collection of music that the NCPA houses in its library that consists of books, vinyl records and CDs on Western classical music.

Alvaro Domingo stated that this recognition and celebration of talent is good for the winner because besides the prize money, there is the possibility of getting a contract. "Besides, most of the jury members are casting directors or general directors of opera houses and they decide whose voice is perfect for this opera. The biggest accomplishment is getting the big prize and going to make it in the opera world.”

With Operalia happening for the first time in Mumbai, surely there would be a change in the way people look at and attend opera in India. Mr Suntook is confident that there will be more interest from audiences in the future, mentioning that there are plans to bring some more operas soon to NCPA. “We have already done 7 operas, and they have been sold out. I do hope that once Operalia 2024 is over, there will be an interest in this and that we can hold many more operas. Several world-class singers, and especially, Angel Blue, a former Operalia contestant, who has emerged in recent seasons as one of the most influential sopranos before the public today, was very pleased with her experience in NCPA, Mumbai, during her recent visit last month for her performance with SOI and maestro Zubin Mehta.”

There are many reasons why Opera has not found a stronghold in the country, and that is due to the infrastructure that does not exist to support the art form, opines Suntook. “For example, an orchestra combined with costume designers, directors, and sound engineers, makes it difficult financially. Opera is an expensive business and not easy to stage, some say it is a lot like Indian movies—a story with song and dance but that is not the case, as opera is a different area. The fact that major countries in the world have opera houses is a reflection on us and not on opera. For instance, China has three opera houses in Shanghai alone, and across the world, and there are opera houses even in Africa, South America, New Zealand, and every town in Italy, where opera is particularly important and mostly something that families enjoy experiencing together. It is the epitome of great art that you must have accomplished singers, orchestra, great conductor, and director. It is not easy to put this together and it is very prestigious for each country to have their own opera houses”.

Along with Italian opera singer the late Luciano Pavarotti and Spaniard Jose Carreras, Domingo was part of the Three Tenors, an operatic singing trio that were active between 1990 and 2003. Speaking on any rivalry between the trio who performed together for many years, Domingo laughed it out, saying, “Football was a particular passion for all of us. Carreras is an avid Barcelona fan; Pavarotti played on his hometown team in Modena, Italy, as a young man, and as for me, I was a fervent Real Madrid supporter. So we had so much in common besides singing. So sometimes we used to discuss a part of an opera and who would sing which part. There wasn’t any rivalry or anything like that; it was just good fun deciding who would play which role in the opera.”

So would it be singing or conducting that Domingo prefers, we question the 83-year-old maestro. “It would definitely be singing. As a conductor, I can also teach singing. As for opera, you have to rehearse for about 8 hours It is a lot of work. Singing is something so personal”. Operalia has travelled to some of the world’s most celebrated venues, from Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House in London, and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. Mumbai is fortunate to witness this momentous event in the city. The finals that take place on Saturday at the Jamshed Bhabha auditorium, NCPA, will see 12 contestants taking part, and it will surely be a night to remember for years to come.