Emma Marhefka and Vladyslav Buialskyi Win Operalia's Top Prizes in Shanghai

American soprano Emma Marhefka and Ukrainian bass-baritone Vladyslav Buialskyi have won first prize at the Operalia competition, held this year in Shanghai. The announcement, made by the organization, caps the world's most closely watched vocal contest with a double victory for two singers at different ends of the vocal range.

Operalia, founded by Plácido Domingo, has again distributed its honors across a wide field. Here is the full list of 2026 winners:

• First prize: Emma Marhefka (soprano, USA) and Vladyslav Buialskyi (bass-baritone, Ukraine)
• Second prize: Tessa McQueen (soprano, USA) and Junhyeok Felix Park (baritone, South Korea)
• Third prize: Roman Chabaranok (bass, Ukraine)
• Birgit Nilsson Prize: Tessa McQueen and Robert Lewis (tenor, United Kingdom)
• Rolex Prize of the Audience: Emma Marhefka and Vladyslav Buialskyi
• The Pepita Embil Prize of Zarzuela: Emma Marhefka
• The Don Plácido Domingo Ferrer Prize of Zarzuela: Eleomar Cuello (baritone, Cuba)
• The CulturArte Prize: Sofía Esparza (soprano, Spain)

What does a first-prize sweep mean?

Marhefka's haul is the standout story of the edition. The American soprano took first prize, the Rolex audience vote and the Pepita Embil zarzuela prize — three separate honors decided by different bodies, including the public. Buialskyi matched her in the two most visible categories, first prize and the audience award, giving Ukraine a second major placement through Chabaranok's third prize.

McQueen's year is nearly as strong. The American soprano collected second prize and, together with British tenor Robert Lewis, the Birgit Nilsson Prize, an award named for the legendary Swedish dramatic soprano. Two American sopranos thus took the competition's top two placements, plus its dedicated Birgit Nilsson honor.

Who judged the competition?

The jury reflected Operalia's institutional reach. According to the announcement, it was made up of industry leaders from the Metropolitan Opera, the Dutch National Opera, Teatro alla Scala and the Wiener Staatsoper, among others. That lineup means singers performed before decision-makers from four of the world's leading houses in one room.

The Shanghai edition continues Operalia's record as a career launchpad. Previous winners include Ekaterine Buachidze, Mihai Damian, Kathleen O'Mara, Le Bu, Juliana Grigoryan, Anthony León, Adriana Gonzalez, Xabier Anduaga, Adela Zaharia and Levy Sekgapane — names now fixtures on international rosters from New York to Vienna.

The 2026 results point to a geographically broad generation of talent: winners and prize recipients this year come from the United States, Ukraine, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Cuba and Spain. Marhefka and Buialskyi now enter an alumni network whose members regularly move into leading roles at the very houses whose representatives judged them in Shanghai.