Plácido Domingo is the principal patron of this year’s Marton Competition

Plácido Domingo and Éva Marton’s professional relationship spans several decades. The two artists have performed together on numerous occasions at some of the world’s leading opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera, the Frankfurt and Hamburg State Operas, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. At the Met, their collaborations included La Gioconda and Tosca, as well as the legendary Franco Zeffirelli production of Turandot.

"Dear All,

It is a great honor and a true pleasure for me to serve as Patron of the 7th Éva Marton International Singing Competition. Throughout my career, supporting young artists has always been one of my greatest passions. This commitment inspired me to found the Operalia International Opera Competition in 1993, and since 2020 I have also had the privilege of serving as Head of the Jury of Virtuosos, the international classical music talent competition, helping to encourage and inspire the next generation of musicians. Éva Marton’s extraordinary artistry and remarkable legacy represent the very highest standards of operatic excellence. It is therefore a privilege to support a competition that bears her name. I wish every participant the greatest success and hope that this competition will bring valuable artistic experiences, new opportunities, and lasting inspiration. I am also certain that audiences swill once again enjoy truly unforgettable musical performances", wrote Maestro Domingo on the occasion of the announcement.

A record 265 valid applications were received for this years competition, from all over the world. The submitted audition videos were reviewed by the preliminary jury, chaired by Prof. Em. KS. Éva Marton and comprising Kossuth Prize-winning opera singer Péter Fried, a lecturer at the Liszt Academy of Music, and conductor Kálmán Szennai. They selected a total of 105 candidates invited to the live rounds. Many are returning participants, while four were finalists in one of the previous editions. In terms of nationality, South Korea is the most strongly represented country, with 29 successful applicants. The field also includes a significant number of candidates from China and Russia, as well as singers from Poland, Hungary—with seven participants—the United States, Norway, Brazil, Italy, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan and Türkiye, among others.

The live rounds of the competition will take place between 31 August and 6 September 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. The preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds will be held at the Liszt Academy, while the gala concert will take place at the Hungarian State Opera. Thanks to the competition’s customary high-quality online broadcasts, performances will also be accessible to audiences worldwide. In addition to the principal prizes, numerous special awards — including performance opportunities — will also be presented. Following tradition, contestants in the preliminary rounds will be required to perform a song by Liszt. In the final and gala concerts, singers will appear accompanied by the Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera under the baton of Kálmán Szennai.

The international jury will once again be chaired by Éva Marton and composed of distinguished figures from Hungarian and international opera life. Returning jurors include Miguel Lerín, one of Spain’s most influential artistic managers; Peter Mario Katona, Casting Director of London’s Royal Opera House; Ukrainian-born tenor and vocal coach Anatoli Goussev, who lives and works in Italy; Italian tenor Vittorio Terranova; Dmitry Vdovin, Director of the Bolshoi Theatre’s Youth Opera Program; mezzo-soprano Andrea Meláth, Head of the Vocal Department at the Liszt Academy; and Szilveszter Ókovács, General Director of the Hungarian State Opera.

Joining the jury for the first time will be Turkish-German mezzo-soprano Deniz Uzun, recipient of the Éva Marton Special Prize at the competition’s fourth edition in 2021. A graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington, Uzun became a member of the Komische Oper Berlin ensemble following her successful appearance in Budapest. She has recently made debuts at Madrid’s Teatro Real and Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, toured with The Cleveland Orchestra including performances at Carnegie Hall, and is soon to appear at the Opéra de Marseille.

Since 2014, the Liszt Academy has organized the Éva Marton International Singing Competition every two years, although the fourth edition, originally planned for 2020, was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. Since 2019, the competition has also been a member of the prestigious World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC).

More information: martoncompetition.hu