The “Nicola Martinucci” International Opera Prize has announced its 2026 winners.

The second edition saw Junyoung Choi win the the top prize. After performing an aria from Verdi’s “Attila,” Choi took home a €2,000 cash prize and the Audience Award.

The second prize was shared by Jo Wonjon and Gan Lin each receiving €1,000 while Italian soprano Camilla Difonzo won third prize of €500. The special Nicola Martinucci Prize was not awarded.

Among the other prizes awarded: a concert with the Nova Amadeus Orchestra, offered by Davide Dellisanti, went to Italian tenor Andrea Calce; and a concert in Beirut, offered by Toufic Maatouk, went to the winner, Junyoung Choi.

The two prizes for the youngest singers, both aged 19, were awarded to baritone Yifei Mao and soprano Tong Tong. Choi and Lin were awarded an audition with the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

 All finalists were accompanied by Maestro Fabio Centanni on a Fazioli 183 piano.

More than 100 singers from 23 countries applied for this second edition of the competition: Italy, Serbia, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mozambique, China, Venezuela, Argentina, Ireland, France, Mexico, Greece, Colombia, Turkey, Canada, Portugal, Brazil, California, Bulgaria, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. 

The competition jury, chaired by Nicola Martinucci, consisted of Davide Dellisanti (the Prize’s artistic director), Alan Green (founder of Zemsky & Green Artists Management), Virginio Fedeli (president of Atelier Musicale), Nicola Cattò (editor of Rivista Musica), Toufic Maatouk (conductor and Head of Artistic Programming at Abu Dhabi Festival, United Arab Emirates), Simone Macrì (artistic coordinator at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa), Simone Alberghini (bass-baritone), Caterina Di Tonno (soprano) and Zong Shi(bass).