In just a month or so the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition takes over the opera world.

The 20 competitors are all stars in the making, primed to be the next wave of operatic superstars. In the next few weeks leading up to the competition, OperaWire will take a look at each of the contestants and give readers an idea of who they are. We will profile each singer in alphabetical order.

The first singer we will look at is 26-year-old mezzo-soprano Miriam Albano.

Bio: Born in Italy, the singer kicked off her musical studies as a violinist but turned to voice training at age 14 with Stella Silva at the Conservatory Benedetto Marcello in Venice. She then went to Vienna to study at the University for Music and Performing Arts where she is studying with Charles Spencer and Brigitte Fassbender.

Major Roles & Performances: The mezzo’s resume includes performances at the Vienna State Opera, where she has performed as Annio in “La Clemenza di Tito” and will take on Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro” next season. She has also appeared at the Salzburg Festival, Ancient Festival in Innsbruck, the Galuppi Festival in Venice, the Eppaner Festival in South Tyrol, and the Gstaad New Year Music Festival among others.

She has also won prizes at the Francisco Viñas International Singing Competition, the Ada Sari International Competition, and the Neue Stimmen Competition.

Below is a clip of the mezzo taking on the iconic Rossini aria “Una voce poco fa” at the Neue Stimmen competition in 2015.