South Korean bass-baritone Sungmin Park won the 44th Belvedere International Singing Competition. His compatriot, also a bass-baritone, Son Jin Kim, came in third, behind soprano Forooz Razavi, as announced by the organizers in Jurmala, Latvia. The Iranian soprano also received the International Media Jury Prize.

Winners of the Belvedere Singing Competition 2026

The Audience Prize was awarded to Latvian soprano Annija Kristiana Adamsone. The Hans Gabor Prize went to German soprano Sofia Savenko and Japanese baritone/bass Sunya Goto. Other finalists and semi-finalists received prizes, engagements, auditions, and/or coaching sessions.

This year, 719 young talents participated in qualifying rounds held in 51 cities worldwide. 122 of them showcased their skills in the final rounds in Jurmala. 54 singers reached the semi-finals.

The International Belvedere Singing Competition was founded by Hans Gabor, director of the Vienna Chamber Opera. It was first held in 1982. Since 2013, the final rounds have been held outside Vienna. This year, the competition took place for the fourth time in Jurmala on the Baltic coast.

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