Touching The Right Chords

Operalia, The World Opera Competition presented by Rolex, travelled to South Asia, in Mumbai, for the first time in their history of 31 years earlier this month. The brainchild of legendary tenor Plácido Domingo, Operalia has been the most prestigious showcase of budding Opera and Zarzuela singers prior to being propelled onto the world stage of opera. The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai played the perfect host to the talented singers, judges and the legendary Domingo himself, to bring the best of opera singing to India. I was among the privileged few Rolex had invited to attend the grand event that was supported by the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI).

At the end of gruelling rounds that comprised Opera and Zarzuela (a version of Opera in Spanish that is followed around in Spain, Mexico, Cuba and Latin America),Kathleen O’Mara, soprano, from USA and Le Bu, bass-baritone from China walked away with the first prizes and Elmina Hasan, mezzo-soprano, Azerbaijan and Angel Romero, tenor, USA received the second prize. Elmina Hasan also bagged the Rolex Prize by audience voting and won a Rolex watch along with Jack Lee, a baritone, from the UK.

Rolex’s Association With Music And Culture Started 50 Years Ago

This is not the first time Swiss watchmaker, Rolex has pursued the role of patron of art, music and culture. Through the broad portfolio of Rolex Perpetual Arts Initiative that extends through architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts, the brand confirms its long-term commitment to global culture.

The watchmaker has a relationship over half a century with talented artistes and leading cultural institutions to celebrate excellence in music, preserve artistic heritageand help form a link between the past, present and future. The journey began in 1976, with New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa becoming the first Rolex Testimonee fromthe world of music.

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For The Love Of Opera

The association with other opera singers soon followed notable being the Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli. Opera greats who became a part of Rolex’s larger interest later from this domain are Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, Germantenor Jonas Kaufmann, Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez and French tenor Benjamin Bernheim.

The Relationship Extends to Classical Music

Music that resonates with every generation creating universal bonds through time soon became an important pillar for brand Rolex. It is not limited to opera. Rolex has since then forged a very long and fruitful association with Classical music as well, represented by maestros such as Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2009),Music Director of the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (since 1999),and future Music and Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic beginning in2026–2027.

Other artiste associations include Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montréal); acclaimed piano soloists Yuja Wang, from China and Hélène Grimaud from France, who are Rolex Testimoneesas well.

Extending beyond Classical music, Rolex has partnerships with music artistes, such as Canadian singer Michael Bublé and sitarist Anoushka Shankar.

Supporting Music Institutions And Young Artistes

Rolex apart from sponsoring the Operalia, supports ventures that encourage talented young artistes, including singers,conductors and instrumentalists such as the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation, theVienna Philharmonic Academy, the Herbert von Karajan Young ConductorsAward, and the Académie de l’Opéra national de Paris,where in-house young artistes can mix with professionals.

In addition to sponsoring individual talents, Rolex extends its partnership with prestigious institutions around the world that help artistes showcase their talents.The company has associations with leading opera houses of the world such as the Teatroalla Scala (Milan), the Royal Opera House (London), the Metropolitan Opera(New York), the Opéra National de Paris (Paris), the Opernhaus Zurich, TeatroColón (Buenos Aires) and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (Monte Carlo) – as well asperforming arts centres such as the National Centre for the Performing Arts(Beijing) and the Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg).

Over the years, Rolex’s arts portfolio has continued to expand and now includesthe Salzburg Festival and the Whitsun Festival. It also supports the world’s finestorchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic with the incomparable sound of its New Year’sand Summer Night concerts.

Image credit: Operalia