24th Music Award Maastricht - 18 April 2026

Francisca Djacabi 

Programme
Del cabello más sutil
by Fernando Obradors (1897-1945) 
from "Dos Cantares Populares" (1921), part of "Canciones Clásicas Españolas" Traditional Spanish text 
I take a cube of ice
by Jake Heggie (1961)  
from the opera "If I were you" (2019) 
sung by Brittomara  
Quand je vous aimerai... L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
by Georges Bizet (1838-1875)  
from the opera "Carmen" (1875) 
sung by Carmen  

Biography
Francisca Djacabi is a young Portuguese singer driven by a deep passion for musical performance. Up to date, she has performed in several countries such as Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Currently, she is finishing her Bachelor of Music at Conservatorium Maastricht under the vocal guidance of Susanne Schimmack. 
Francisca started her performing career in Portugal, in 2022, with the Ensemble Záve at the ZêzereArts Summer Festival. Since moving to The Netherlands, she often collaborates with her peers at Conservatorium Maastricht, having participated in student composed operas, vocal ensembles and solo recitals. In the season of 2023/2024, she ventured onto the operatic stages and started performing as part of the Extra-Chor in Theater Aachen (Germany). She’s taken part in productions such as “Il Viaggio a Reims” by Rossini, “Sweeney Todd” by Sondheim and “Oprhée aux Enfers” by Offenbach. Later on, she joined the choir of Opera Zuid and has sung in productions such as “Le Villi” by Puccini and “Die Dreigroschenoper” by Weill. As an opera soloist, Francisca has taken on the roles of Sandmännchen in “Hänsel und Gretel”, by Humperdick, and Isaura in “Tancredi”, by Rossini. 

Andrea Palomo Alcántara

Programme
La Primorosa
by Gerónimo Giménez (1854–1923) 
from the zarzuela “El barbero de Sevilla” (1897); 
sung by La Primorosa  
Je veux vivre
by Charles Gounod (1818–1893) 
from the opera “Roméo et Juliette” (1867); 
sung by Juliette 
Quando me’n vo (Musetta’s Waltz)  
by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) 
from the opera “La Bohème” (1896); 
sung by Musetta  

Biography
Andrea Palomo Alcántara (Málaga, 2002) is a 24-year-old soprano with a strong artistic identity and a particular affinity for Bel Canto and Zarzuela repertoire.  
She began her vocal studies at the age of 12 at the Manuel Carra Conservatory under the guidance of Pedro Barrientos, laying the foundations of a solid vocal technique and musical sensitivity. 
In 2019, she was selected to participate in the Galamian Academy, where she further developed her artistic skills working with Nils Nilsen and Sergio Montero. Throughout her training, Andrea has enriched her musical development through masterclasses with renowned artists such as Celia Alcedo, Paul Smith, Gloria Fabuela, Miquel Ortega, and Albert Alcaraz. 
Andrea is currently in her second year of a Master’s degree in Classical Singing at the Conservatorium Maastricht, studying with Susanne Schimmack. She is deeply committed to refining her vocal technique, stylistic awareness, and expressive freedom, with a repertoire that reflects both technical precision and emotional depth. 
Her performances are characterized by musical clarity, expressive nuance, and a strong communicative presence, aiming to create an immediate and sincere connection with the audience. 

Paul McNamara (Chairman)

Biography
From Ireland, the tenor Paul McNamara is based in The Netherlands where he is Artistic Leader of the Dutch National Opera Academy, the collaborative master’s in opera performance offered by the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. 
The tenor has appeared in opera houses throughout Germany and Austria performing roles such as Wagner’s Claudio (Das Liebesverbot), Erik, Tannhäuser, Loge, Tristan, Siegfried, Mime and Parsifal. In addition to operas by Berg, Braunfels, Schillings, Schreker, Strauss, Korngold and Zemlinsky, his extensive repertoire also includes work by Cavalli, Monteverdi, Mozart, Weber, Meyerbeer, Leoncavallo, Tchaikowsky, Janáček, Britten, Previn, Penderecki and John Adams. 
He has been heard at major venues including Venice’s Teatro La Fenice, Teatr Wielki – the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, Opéra national du Rhin and with the Salzburg Festival at the Beijing Music Festival. A keen recitalist, concert appearances have taken him to many of the world’s leading venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and New York’s Carnegie Hall as well as to the Telemann Festival in Hamburg with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. 
An alumnus of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Paul McNamara is an honours graduate of the University College Cork, the Cork School of Music and the Royal College of Music London. He is a casting consultant for the Stichting Omroep Muziek (Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir) and Opera Adviser to the Arts Council of Ireland (An Chomhairle Ealaíon). 

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Aäron Wajnberg  

Biography
Praised for his expressive depth and musical insight, pianist Aaron Wajnberg is recognized as one of the leading pianists of his generation. He has performed at major international venues including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Kölner Philharmonie, BOZAR Brussels, Teatro Municipal Rio de Janeiro, the Antwerp Opera House, the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich. 
Renowned as a Lieder pianist, Wajnberg collaborates regularly with some of today’s most distinguished singers, among them Jeanine De Bique, Rolando Villazón, Roberto Alagna, Ian Bostridge, Christoph Prégardien, Sophie Karthäuser, Chen Reiss, Pumeza Matshikiza, Samantha Hankey, Christianne Stotijn and Charlotte Wajnberg. As a chamber musician, he has worked with artists such as Michael Barenboim, Annelien Van Wauwe and Roman Patocka, as well as ensembles including Quatuor Danel and Quatuor Enesco. 
He is a frequent accompanist for international masterclasses and was an official pianist at the Queen Elisabeth Competition for Voice in 2018 and 2023. In 2023, he was personally invited by Renée Fleming to participate in Carnegie Hall’s SongStudio. 
A graduate magna cum laude of the Royal Antwerp Conservatoire, Wajnberg studied with Leonid Margarius, Victor Makarov and Levente Kende. Alongside his performing career, he is Professor at the Royal Antwerp Conservatoire, co-Artistic Director of Flanders LiedFest, and since 2025 Artistic Director of the Municipal Conservatory of Mechelen.