Internationales Opernstudio

Lobel Barun, bass, is originally from Croatia. He studied with Alexei Tanovitski at the Music Academy in his hometown of Zagreb. In 2023, he won the special "Željko Lučić" Prize at the "Lazar Jovanović" International Singing Competition in Belgrade. That same year, he made his debut at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb as Bacchus in Boris Papandopulo’s Amphitryon. He also appeared with the Zagreb Philharmonic at the Lisinski Concert Hall and portrayed Salieri in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart and Salieri at the opera studio of the Zagreb Academy. Other roles include Le Surintendant des plaisirs (Massenet’s Cendrillon) at the Zagreb Music Academy, the tame raven Moses (Igor Kuljerić’s Animal Farm) at the Lisinski Concert Hall, Carceriere (Tosca) at the Croatian National Theatre, and Tobias Mill (Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio) in Vis, Croatia. Starting with the 2024/25 season, he will join the International Opera Studio at Zurich Opera House.

Maximilian Bell, bass, studied with Michail Lanskoi and Manfred Equiluz at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna. He furthered his training through masterclasses with Angelika Kirchschlager, Adrian Eröd, and Gerhard Kahry. The Austrian-born singer has already performed roles such as Spinelloccio (Gianni Schicchi) and Norton (La cambiale di matrimonio) at the Bregenz Festival, Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) as part of the Vienna Philharmonic’s Summer Academy in Vienna and Graz, Snug (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) at Theater Akzent in Vienna, the bass part in Bernstein’s Mass at the Vienna Musikverein, Rocco (Fidelio) in a children’s production in Baden, Austria, Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) at the MuTh in Vienna, and Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro) in a touring theatre production. Starting with the 2024/25 season, he will be a member of the International Opera Studio at Zurich Opera House.

Tomislav Jukić, tenor, is originally from Croatia. He is a prizewinner of major international vocal competitions, including the Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský International Vocal Competition and the International Antonín Dvořák Singing Competition (2023). He studied with Martina Zadro at the Music Academy in Zagreb and took part in masterclasses with Renata Pokupić, Nikola Kitanovski, Alexei Tanovitski, and Mikhail Sinkevich. His engagements have included the tenor part in Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine with the Croatian Radio Choir and the ensemble Concerto dei Venti in Split, Rijeka, and Zagreb, as well as his debut as Mercury (Boris Papandopulo’s Amphitryon) in a production by the Zagreb Music Academy. More recently, he performed Goro (Madama Butterfly) at the opera house in Ljubljana, gave a solo recital at the Allegretto Festival in Žilina (Slovakia), and appeared as a soloist in concert with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. Tomislav Jukić will join the International Opera Studio at Zurich Opera House starting with the 2024/25 season.

The French soprano Marie Lombard studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and in Rennes with Stéphanie d’Oustrac. She furthered her training through masterclasses with Lisette Oropesa, Anne Sofie von Otter, Stéphane Degout, Inva Mula, Brigitte Fassbaender, and Mariella Devia. She is an alumna of the Opera Academy in Bordeaux and the Monte-Carlo Opera Academy, and a prizewinner of the International Competition for Young Singers of the Grand Opéra d’Avignon, the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition, and the International Opera Competition of Marmande. Her previous roles include, among others, Inès (“La favorite”), La Princesse (“L’enfant et les sortilèges”), Belinda (“Dido and Aeneas”), Eurydike (“Orfeo ed Euridice”), Adèle (“Die Fledermaus”), Coraline (Adolphe Adam’s “Le toréador”), and the Erste Dame (“Die Zauberflöte”). Since the 2024/25 season, she has been a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House. There, she has appeared as Barbarina (“Le nozze di Figaro”) and Contessa di Folleville (“Il viaggio a Reims”) and performed alongside Cecilia Bartoli at the benefit gala concert. In the 2025/26 season, she will again sing Barbarina as well as Sandmann (“Hänsel und Gretel”) and Lauretta (“Gianni Schicchi”). In summer 2026, she will appear as Marzelline (“Fidelio”) at the festival in Saint-Céré, France.

Steffan Lloyd Owen, baritone, comes from Wales. He has received numerous singing awards in the United Kingdom, including the W. Towyn Roberts Scholarship Prize, the Blue Riband Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Prize. His recent performances include the roles of Sciarrone and the Jailor in a semi-staged production of Tosca alongside Sir Bryn Terfel and Kristine Opolais at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Escamillo (Carmen) with Buxton Opera, the title role in Hans Krása’s children’s opera Brundibár at Welsh National Opera, and the Doctor in Verdi’s Macbeth at Mid Wales Opera. On the concert stage, he has sung Mendelssohn’s Elijah at the Beaumaris Music Festival, Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestre National de Bretagne in Rennes, and Beethoven’s Mass in C major as well as the Choral Fantasy with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Starting with the 2024/25 season, he will be part of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

Pablo Salido Pulido was born in Madrid. He studied piano in his hometown and continued his training as an accompanist in an exchange program in Trieste. The pianist has performed as a soloist and in various chamber music ensembles in Italy and Spain. He worked as an accompanist at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto and at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste. In 2023, he participated in the Georg Solti Accademia in Venice, where he worked with Jonathan Papp, Rodrido de Vera, Richard Bonynge, and Anthony Legge. Starting in the 2024/25 season, he will be an accompanist at the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

Sylwia Salamońska, soprano, studied with Wojciech Maciejowski in Poznań. During her studies, she performed roles such as Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), and Zosia (Stanisław Moniuszko’s The Spectres). In the 2023/24 season, she was part of the Opera Academy Young Talent Development Programme at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, where she made her debut as First Companion of Dirce in Luigi Cherubini’s Medea. She also sang Frasquita (Carmen) at the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk. In 2024, she appeared alongside Luca Pisaroni at the “Stars and Rising Stars” Festival in Munich. She is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including the Halina Słonicka International Singing Competition in Poland (1st prize), the 21st Juventus Canti International Singing Competition in Vráble, Slovakia (3rd prize and special award), the Riccardo Zandonai International Singing Competition in Riva del Garda (finalist), and the Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský International Singing Competition in Trnava, Slovakia (finalist). From the 2024/25 season, Sylwia Salamońska will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

The American soprano Thalia Cook-Hansen completed her master’s degree at the Dutch National Opera Academy following vocal studies in the USA and Canada. She also took part in masterclasses with, among others, Elliot Madore, Floris Visser, and Lynne Dawson. Concert appearances and staged productions have taken her to the USA, Canada, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, and the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, she has appeared as Nerina in Haydn’s “La fedeltà premiata,” Fanny in Rossini’s “La cambiale di matrimonio,” Bastienne in Mozart’s “Bastien et Bastienne,” and Adele in “Die Fledermaus.” She sang Barbarina (“Le nozze di Figaro”) at the Estates Theatre in Prague, as well as the Erste Dame (“Die Zauberflöte”) and Mademoiselle Silberklang (“Der Schauspieldirektor”) in Toronto. Her repertoire also includes roles such as Bubikopf in Viktor Ullmann’s “Der Kaiser von Atlantis,” Singer No. 1 in Conrad Susa’s “Transformations,” Amore in Monteverdi’s “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria,” and the title role in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Starting with the 2025/26 season, she will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

The German-Egyptian mezzo-soprano Karima El Demerdasch studied in Cairo as well as at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with John Evans. In 2024, she was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and took part in the Georg Solti Accademia in 2023. In university productions at the Guildhall School, she appeared as Prinz Orlofsky (“Die Fledermaus”) and Dido (“Dido und Aeneas”). In a 2023 production by Opera Kipling, she performed the title role in “La Cenerentola” at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre in London. In 2025, she participated in the Young Singers Project of the Salzburg Festival and made her debut at the Barbican Hall in London. Starting with the 2025/26 season, she will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

Evan Gray is a Swiss bass-baritone from Winterthur. He began his musical training as an alto with the Zürcher Sängerknaben and later transitioned to the bass voice category. After receiving his first vocal lessons at the Conservatory in Winterthur, he went on to study at the renowned Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. His previous roles include the Förster (“Das schlaue Füchslein”), Figaro (“Le nozze di Figaro”), and Leporello (“Don Giovanni”). As an experienced recitalist, he has performed Schubert’s “Winterreise” and Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel” on multiple occasions and has collaborated with artists such as Julius Drake and Robert Holl. From 2023 to 2025, he was a guest artist at the Marlboro Music Festival, where he developed a close artistic relationship with pianist Mitsuko Uchida, who has invited him to return for the 2026 summer edition. Since the 2025/26 season, Evan Gray has been a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

The Georgian baritone Guram Margvelashvili completed his vocal studies in 2024 at the State Conservatory in Tbilisi. From 2019 to 2023, he was a member of the Tbilisi Opera Studio, where he took on roles such as the Priest and Papageno in “Die Zauberflöte,” Valentin in Gounod’s “Faust,” as well as the title roles in “Don Giovanni” and “Jewgeni Onegin.” He also sang Belcore in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore.” Guram Margvelashvili received several scholarships and was a finalist in the Giuseppe Di Stefano International Singing Competition in Sicily and the Tamar Iveri Competition in Georgia. Starting with the 2025/26 season, he will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

The Dutch mezzo-soprano Cashlin Oostindië received her training at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and in Athens, as well as privately with Lauren Athey-Janka and Eva-Maria Westbroek. During her studies, she was a member of Young Opera Noord Holland, sang Marcellina (“Le nozze di Figaro”), was part of the chorus in Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites,” and appeared as a soloist at the Lefkas Music Week Festival in Greece. In concert, she performed the alto parts in Bruckner’s “Requiem” and Rossini’s “Petite Messe solennelle.” Together with pianist Florence van der Does, she regularly gives song recitals in the Netherlands. Starting with the 2025/26 season, she will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

Flavia Stricker, soprano, studied at the Lübeck University of Music. She sang Fiordiligi (“Così fan tutte”) at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre and Galathée (Franz von Suppé’s “Die schöne Galathée”) at the Lübeck University of Music. She also appeared in the Christmas Gala of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. Since the 2023/24 season, she has been a member of the International Opera Studio at Zurich Opera House. In the current season, she can be heard in “Around the World in 80 Days”, “The Merry Widow”, “Jakob Lenz” and in the new production of “Elijah”.

The soprano Natália Tuznik was born in Budapest and completed her vocal studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. She was awarded the Junior Prima Prize. In 2023, she was a member of the Opera Academy at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw and the following year part of the “exzellenz labor oper” founded by Hedwig Fassbender. She participated in numerous masterclasses and worked with artists such as Éva Marton, Claudio Di Segni, Anatoli Goussev, Izabela Kłosińska, Fausto Nardi, Katelan Trần Terrell, Michał Biel, and René Massis. In 2022, she made her debut as Wellgunde (“Götterdämmerung”) at the Hungarian State Opera. Shortly thereafter, she toured Japan with the ensemble and sang the role of the First Lady (“Die Zauberflöte”) in several cities. At the Hungarian State Opera, she also performed the title role in Gluck’s “Iphigenie auf Tauris,” Donna Anna in “Don Giovanni,” Alice Ford in “Falstaff,” and most recently Countess Almaviva in “Le nozze di Figaro.” Starting with the 2025/26 season, she will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

Salvador Villanueva is a Mexican tenor. He completed his vocal training at the Universidad de Sonora and subsequently at the Mexican Opera Studio (MOS). There, he sang roles including Goro in “Madama Butterfly” and Remendado in “Carmen.” In the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, he was a member of the Opera Studio at the Amsterdam Opera, where he took on roles such as Gastone (“La traviata”), Borsa (“Rigoletto”), the tenor role in Tom Johnson’s “The Four Note Opera,” and the Sailor (“Dido und Aeneas”). In 2024, he returned to Mexico as the title character in Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.” Salvador Villanueva was a finalist in singing competitions in Mexico City and ’s-Hertogenbosch. Starting with the 2025/26 season, he will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

The tenor Samuel Wallace is from Brazil, where he studied voice in Vitória. In 2024, he received a scholarship from the Mozarteum Brasileiro and subsequently participated in Rolf Beck’s International Choir Academy Lübeck. During this time, concerts took him to Germany as well as to the Philharmonie de Paris under the direction of Raphaël Pichon. His operatic repertoire includes roles such as Tamino (“Die Zauberflöte”) and the title role in Guilherme Bernstein’s opera “Serafim und der Ort, an dem man nicht stirbt.” In 2024, he portrayed Dorvil in Rossini’s “La scala di seta” and took part in the Gala Lírica of the 13th Tenor Meeting of Brazil at the Teatro Amazonas in Manaus. He attended masterclasses in Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, and Hungary. Samuel Wallace was a finalist in the Maria Callas Competition and prizewinner at the Joaquina Lapinha and Natércia Lopes singing competitions. Starting with the 2025/26 season, he will be a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

The pianist Ava Linvog is originally from Seattle. After studying at the Eastman School of Music and Vassar College, she worked as a freelance répétiteur based in New York City. In the United States, she has worked with companies including Opera Omaha, North Carolina Opera, the St. Petersburg Opera Company, and the Brevard Music Center. Ava Linvog has given song recitals in New York, supported by City Lyric Opera, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, and Glyndebourne America. In 2025, she was a Vocal Piano Fellow at the Music Academy of the West and subsequently became a fellow at Arizona Opera. Starting with the 2025/26 season, she will join the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House as a répétiteur.

Ismaele Gatti was born in Como. He studied piano and organ in his hometown and in Lugano. He also completed further studies in harpsichord at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel. As a pianist, organist, and harpsichordist, he has performed in concerts in Italy as well as in Spain, France, Norway, Germany, Slovakia, and Switzerland. He has worked with chamber ensembles, choirs, and orchestras such as Ensemble I Barocchisti, Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, and Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera italiana (RSI), as well as with renowned musicians including Albrecht Mayer, Diego Fasolis, Fabien Touhand, and Enrico Fagone. Ismaele Gatti is a prizewinner of several piano, organ, and chamber music competitions. From 2022 to 2024, he worked as a répétiteur for piano and harpsichord at the conservatory in Lugano. Starting with the 2025/26 season, he will join the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House as a répétiteur.

Maria Stella Maurizi begann ihr Studium am Rossini-Konservatorium in Pesaro. Sie war Gewinnerin des jeweils ersten Preises beim Internationalen Wettbewerb «Young Musicians – Città di Treviso» 2020 und beim 75th Competition for Young Opera Singers «European Community» am Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto. Im Jahr 2021 sang sie Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) in Spoleto und Perugia; 2022 war sie in der europäischen Erstaufführung von Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna mit dem Budapest Festival Orchestra unter der Leitung von Iván Fischer zu hören, sang Micaëla (Marius Constants Tragédie de Carmen) in Spoleto und Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) in Spoleto und Perugia. Im selben Jahr erhielt sie den «Premio Nazionale delle Arti» der italienischen Regierung. Im Jahr 2023 gewann sie Preise beim Concorso Lirico Internazionale «Anita Cerquetti» und beim Concorso Lirico Internazionale Riccardo Zandonai. Seit der Spielzeit 2023/24 ist sie Mitglied des Internationalen Opernstudios am Opernhaus Zürich und war u.a. als Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) zu erleben.