Sunday evening 20 November, soprano Sílvia Sequeira (classical opera student) was declared the winner of ARIA. The final of Omroep MAX's opera talent show was shown on NPO 1 and attracted 980,000 viewers.
The Portuguese Sílvia competed in the final against two other talented opera singers, Pim van Drunen and Mira Alkhovik.
Sílvia sang Dich, Teure Halle from Richard Wagner's romantic opera Tannhäuser. Pim took on the role of Nemorimo from the opera L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti and sang about the successful effect of the love potion with the aria Una furtiva lagrima. Mira also performed an aria from L'elisir d'amore. She sang the aria Prendi, per me sei libero.
The opera talents were judged in recent weeks by an expert jury consisting of Tania Kross, Rosemary Joshua and Floris Kortie and by the mysterious Secret Judge. During the finale, the identity of this mysterious juror was revealed. It turned out to be opera singer Marco Bakker.
Congratulations Silvia on this wonderful achievement!
