Friends

Elina Garanca loves being on stage with up-and-coming and established young singers and thrilling the audience. This year, opera superstars Serena Sáenz and Iván Ayón Rivas will provide goosebump-inducing moments.

 

Serena Sáenz, Soprano

Spanish soprano Serena Sáenz already wowed the ball guests and an audience of millions in front of the TV screens at the 66th Vienna Opera Ball 2024 together with Elina Garanca. Serena Sáenz mastered this challenge with flying colours and sang her way into the hearts of music lovers. Serena Sáenz is praised by the specialised press for her ‘musicality, good taste in ornamentation and luminous high notes with a good arsenal of bel canto resources’ (Scherzo). She is a three-time winner of the Operalia 2022 competition in Riga: the second prize of the Plácido Domingo World Opera Competition, the Pepita Emil Prize for Zarzuela and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. In 2023/24 she began her season at the Vienna State Opera.

Serena Sáenz, Photo: Dovile Sermokas

 

Iván Ayón Rivas, Tenor

Studied opera at the National Conservatory of Music of Perù under the direction of María Eloisa. He has honed his skills with world stars such as Juan Diego Florez, Ernesto Palacio, Vincenzo Scalera, Maurizio Colaccichi and Luigi Alva. The young tenor is currently studying in Italy with baritone Roberto Servile. Numerous awards and acclaimed international performances testify to his unique talent.

Iván Ayón Rivas, Photo: Tatiana Mazzola

 

ZukunftsStimme Clemens Alexander Frank, Bariton

This year's winner is 26-year-old Clemens Alexander Frank. Born in Wiener Neustadt, Clemens Alexander Frank studied singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and is currently studying for a Master's degree in Vocal Performance. In recent years, he has gained a great deal of experience as a soloist on stage in a wide variety of genres. His most recent engagements have taken him to the ‘SWR Junge Opernstars 2024’ and as Conte in Mozart's ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ at the Kammeroper in Munich. Clemens Alexander after the award ceremony: ‘It is a very special pleasure and great honour for me to be personally selected by Elīna Garanča and Karel Mark Chichon - their belief in my talent and my performance is a unique motivation to continue on my path, to keep working hard and to inspire the audience with my skills.’

Clemens Alexander Frank, Photo: Tina King

 

This year, the artists will once again be accompanied by the Vienna Volksoper Orchestra, which will offer a captivating sound experience. As always, Barbara Rett will charmingly host the evening.