The 27-year-old baritone Sergey Kaydalov won the Queen Sonja International Music Competition on Friday night.
He competed five other finalists on the Opera stage on Friday night and won 500,000 kroner.
Behind him came baritone Stefan Astakhov (21) from Germany, followed by baritone Adam Kutny (27) from Poland in third place.
It was the Queen herself who presented the prizes.
“I want to thank the finalists. I am full of admiration for the wonderful experience you have given us tonight, and I am pretty sure the audience is just as excited. You have touched us deeply. Let me thank everyone and everyone for their great performances, and not least the Opera Orchestra,” said Queen Sonja from the stage, according to a press release from the music competition.
She also gave Kaydalov an original artwork signed by the queen herself.
None of the Norwegian participants reached the final this year, but neo-soprano Astrid Nordstad from Trondheim reached the semi-finals and receives Ingrid Bjoners Scholarship of NOK 100,000, as the competition’s best Norwegian participant.
The competition is held every other year and took place for the fifteenth time in 2019. The participants are mainly newly graduated singers at the start of a career in opera and classical music.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
