Richard J. Sigmund 

President of the Jury 

Is an internationally renowned tenor, composer, director, voice coach, and conductor. He initiated numerous cultural projects, including the Opernstudio Meran and Merano Academy. As a conductor and director, he has led numerous concerts and over 50 opera and musical productions such as Carmina Burana, The Magic Flute, Le nozze di Figaro, The Bird Seller, West Side Story, and his own compositions. He has written and composed over 80 works, including musicals and operas. Additionally, he leads the Merano Academy – Opera Studio, where he teaches young talents, directs operas, and conducts concerts.

Peter Edelmann

Made his debut as a singer at the Stadttheater Koblenz in 1985. In 1989, he won the main prize at the Belvedere Singing Competition. From 1990 to 2001, he was a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and performed over 90 lead roles worldwide, including at the Vienna State Opera, the Semperoper, and in Tokyo. Since 2001, he has been a freelance artist. He has been teaching at MDW since 2011, was dean from 2014 to 2017, and led the Mörbisch Seefestspiele from 2017 to 2022. Since 2024, he has been the intendant of the Klosterneuburg Opera.

Giacomo Fornari

Teaches music dramaturgy at the Conservatorio Monteverdi in Bolzano. He studied musicology in Pavia and earned his doctorate in Tübingen on instrumental music in the "Nation chantante." Fornari has published numerous studies on Mozart, was the director of the Monteverdi Conservatory from 2017 to 2023, and served as president of the Institute for Music Education in Bolzano from 2004 to 2013. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Academy for Mozart Research. He founded the Mozart&Friends festival and hosts the radio show Effetto Haydn on RAI-Südtirol.

Kalle Kanttila

Is the founder and CEO of Kanttila Management Agency (formerly IOA Management). Prior to that, he was a tenor soloist at the Nuremberg State Opera and the Regensburg Theatre, as well as a guest at prestigious opera houses such as the Komische Oper Berlin, the National Theatre Mannheim, and the Savonlinna Opera Festival. He serves as a juror at numerous international singing competitions, including the Belvedere Competition and Competizione dell'Opera. He also gives masterclasses worldwide, including in Helsinki, New York, Vienna, and San Francisco.

Francesca Micarelli

Graduated in violin (2002) and voice (2003) from the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan, later perfecting at La Scala Academy and with renowned teachers. She earned advanced degrees in Artistic and Clinical Vocology (2016–24) and Pediatric Speech Therapy (2023). Winner of the “Debut in Meran” competition (2002), she has performed leading roles across Italian and German stages, from Violetta and Cio-Cio-San to Lucia, Rosina, Susanna, and Pamina. A frequent guest at Verona’s Filarmonico and Arena, she has sung throughout Europe and Asia. Founder of Belcanto Academy (since 2013), she will serve as vocal coach at Savonlinna Opera Academy from 2026. 

Hein Mulders

The current Intendant of the Cologne Opera has held the position since the 2022/23 season. He studied in Amsterdam, focusing on art history, musicology, and opera history. His career began in The Hague at a leading music agency as an assistant to the management. He then went on to direct the Dutch National Youth Orchestra. In 1995, he became a casting officer at the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp/Ghent, and a year later took on the role of Head of Casting and Artistic Planning. In 2006, he moved to the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam as Opera Director. From 2013 to 2022, he served as Intendant of the Aalto Music Theatre in Essen, as well as the Essen Philharmonic and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cornelia Preissinger

Studied musicology, theater studies, and German philology in Munich. Her master's thesis received the Richard Strauss Society's promotion award, and her doctoral dissertation on Johannes Brahms was supported by the Free State of Bavaria and the German National Academic Foundation. She has been an opera director, dispatcher, and dramaturge, among other roles, at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the State Theatre of Kassel, and the State Opera Hannover. Since 2022, she has been the Deputy Intendant and Opera Director of the Leipzig Opera. Additionally, she works as a juror, mentor, and author.

Sylvia Saavedra-Edelmann

Opera producer, artist agent, career consultant, and lecturer, has been an accredited social media manager and agent at Sono Artists in Vienna since 2023. She teaches career orientation and social media at universities like MDW. In 2022, she successfully produced Orfeo ed Euridice and Il Campanello. Previously, she was, among other roles, the coordinator of the ISA-Mörbisch Operetta Workshop and an assistant at the Mörbisch Seefestspiele. She founded +OPERA and led numerous productions. She also teaches audition training and is a coach at the Summer Music Festival in Vienna.

Christian Starinieri

Baritone, choir, and orchestra conductor, has performed at renowned theaters such as the Teatro San Carlo, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and the Royal Opera House Muscat. Notable highlights include the DVD project Mosè by Rossini (Expo 2015, Milan) and the opening of the Dubai Opera with The Barber of Seville. He conducts the choir of the Teatro Marrucino and the University of Chieti-Pescara. He is also a senior manager at DM Artist Manager (including José Carreras) and a casting manager at IME Productions. He teaches at the Fermo Conservatory.