Opera for Peace Academy, in collaboration with the European Investment Bank, LUISS University, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, l’Accademia Internazionale di Musica e Arte, and Opera Europa, will close out its inaugural installment by presenting a concert of opera’s greatest arias and ensembles at the Istituto Pontificio in Piazza S. Agostino in Rome, on June 5, 2022.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature all 21 of the Academy’s emerging artists.

The Academy is the first program of its kind dedicated to peace and social justice worldwide. Two of the artists selected are Ukrainian and received full scholarships to attend.

Participants attended masterclasses, individual training, and had access to opera powerhouses Thomas Hampson, Lawrence Brownlee, Ludovic Tézier, Damiano Michieletto, and Angela Meade.

From house superintendents to the former President of the European Economic and Social Committee, several speakers took part in workshops focusing on sustainability, promoting positive peace with the Institute for Economics & Peace, gender equality, and social entrepreneurship.

“Our ultimate goal, after having detected the greatest talent is to support them in their training to help them to become, through lyric art, ambassadors of peace and our positive values in a period where the world needs peace, hope and beauty more than ever, we believe that music can heal souls, save lives and unite people instead of dividing them. A special thank you to our sponsors the EIB, and partners, and all the professionals that give their time and experience to help create the artists of tomorrow,” said co-founder Julia Lagahuzère in a press statement.

The 21 participating artists, selected from an applicant pool of 150, include Aleksey Kursanov, Amanda Osorio, Ana Garotić, Angelord Blaise, Anna Bossert, Fatima Alhashmi, Geng Lee, Hannah Bullock, Hoa Khac Nguyen, Katie Norchi, Ketevan Chuntishvili, Leah Gunter, Leonardo Sánchez, Nadège Meden,; Nikolay Zemlianskikh, Rachel Barg, Samson Setu, Shuai Zhang, Violeta Samon, Vitalii Lashko, and Yolisa Ngwexana.