On August 25, the audience chooses their tenor in the third round of "The Artist and the City"
Today, August 20, at 1:00 PM in the lobby of the Ruse Opera, the draw took place that determined the order of auditions for the candidates in the Third International Competition for Young Opera Singers – Tenors "The Voice of Kamen".
The members of the Jury - Tanya Ivanova, the founder of Kamen Chanev Foundation, the opera singer and teacher Kaludi Kaludov and the director of the Ruse Opera, Plamen Beykov, welcomed the young tenors and wished them success in the competition. “Feel at home in the opera during the competition days – the rehearsal rooms are open for you,” the jury members told the participants.
After a preliminary professional selection based on submitted video recordings, 11 tenors from six countries: Ukraine, France, Poland, Germany, Romania, and China were allowed to participate in the competition.
Right after the draw at the State Opera - Ruse building, rehearsals with the pianist began. On August 21 and 22, the first round of the competition will take place, where the candidates will perform for the jury with two arias - the first of their choice, and the second chosen by the jury from the pieces previously suggested by the tenors.
On August 25 at 8:00 PM, at the "Opera Square" Stage, the audience will have a special role in the Third International Competition for Young Opera Singers - Tenors 'The Voice of Kamen.' In the third round, titled The Artist and the CityThe deciding vote will be the audience's. They will pick their favourite and determine the winner of the Audience Award.
At this stage, each contestant will perform an aria or song of their choice - a piece that best reveals their artistic individuality and personal message. The repertoire can include an aria from an opera, musical, or operetta, a folk or popular song, as well as a piece that most vividly showcases the performer’s national identity.
We have an evening ahead where young tenor voices will meet the audience in Ruse up close. The audience will have the chance not only to hear the participants but also to feel their individuality and choose the voice that touched them the most. In the third round, all candidates can participate, regardless of their ranking for the final stage.
Entrance for the audience is free. Come to the '"Opera Square" Stage to be part of this special opera evening and hear young and promising tenor voices that could conquer the world's opera stages tomorrow!
About the competition
The competition for young opera singers - tenors “The Voice of Kamen” is organized by the State Opera - Ruse, with financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, with the assistance and partnership of the Ruse Municipality, and is part of the National Cultural Calendar for 2026.
The international forum combines a serious competition profile with professional prestige and a modern approach to showcasing young artists. The participants act as 'young ambassadors of music,' presenting Ruse - the city known as "Little Vienna"' - through their art.
The "Voice of Kamen" competition was created with the mission to continue the life of Kamen Chanev's ideas and understanding of the essence of opera. It gives young artists from all over the world the chance to bring into their art the message of complete dedication and honesty to the stage – values that made the exceptional tenor Kamen Chanev a part of the most valuable history of the world's opera art.
More about the competition here kamenchanev.org.
