The Glyndebourne’s international search for the next big opera star attracted over 200 entrants from 39 different countries and following preliminary rounds, 19 singers aged 22-31 have been invited to take part in the semi-final on March 4.

The 19 singers will compete for one of six places in the Opera Cup final on March 7, which will once again be broadcast live on Sky Arts, presented by comedian and writer Chris Addison and international soprano Danielle de Niese.

The overall winner will receive £15,000 and the guarantee of a role within five years at one of the top opera houses represented by the competition jury.

The 2020 semi-finalists are Evgeniia Asanova (Russia), Maria Chabounia (Belarus), Federica Di Trapani (Italy), Valerie Eickhoff (Germany), Eric Ferring (USA), Jessica Harper (Australia), Maya Kherani (USA), Sungho Kim (South Korea), Miriam Luisa Kutrowatz (Austria), Alexandra Lowe (UK), Lauren Margison (Canada), Timothy Murray (USA), John Matthew Myers (USA), Edward Nelson (USA), Gabriel Rollinson (Germany/USA), Dominic Sedgwick (UK), Olga Syniakova (Ukraine), Klara Johanna Wallroth (Sweden), and Meigui Zhang (China).