The Voice of Black Opera Competition has announced the 12 singers that will appear as part of the competition’s semifinal round.

The artists include Natasha Agarwal – soprano (British Indian), Neil Balfour – bass-baritone (Scottish Indian), Rachel Duckett- soprano (British), Chantelle Grant- mezzo-soprano (Canadian), Christian Joel – tenor (Trinidadian), Thando Mjandana – tenor (South African), Yolisa Ngwexana – soprano (South African), John Onosolease – baritone (Nigerian), Isabelle Peters – soprano (British), Samkelisiwe Sitshinga – soprano (South African), Shanice Skinner – soprano (Canadian), and Suzanne Taffot- soprano (Canadian-Cameroonian).

The 12 artists will head to Birmingham for intensive training for the semifinals on Nov. 24 and 25 with five moving on to the final at Birmingham Town Hall on Dec. 5, 2022. There will be two prizes awarded during the final including The Sir Willard White Trophy and The Samuel Coleridge Taylor Award. The winner of the former will receive 10,000 pounds, coaching with the music staff of the Welsh National Opera, and a concert appearance with the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. The winner of the latter prize will take home 5,000 pounds and three performances of a new work by Daniel Kidane with The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

Judges for the semifinals include Welsh National Opera Head of Music and Casting Russell Moreton, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Artistic Director Stephan Meier, composer Shirley Thompson, and soprano Patricia Rozario. The judges for the final round include tenor and composer Tom Randle, Welsh National Opera General Director Aidan Lang, Meier, tenor Jean Ronald La Fond, composer Philip Herbert, writer and critic Rupert Christiansen, and composer and conductor Odaline de la Martinez.