NINA Solo Competition – vor young voices 2026
PARTICIPANTS

Alisa Protsenko is a 23-year-old mezzo-soprano from Kharkiv, Ukraine. She began vocal training at the age of eight and decided to pursue a career in opera at fifteen. She graduated with distinction from Kharkiv Professional Music College in 2022. After relocating to Norway, she studied at Toneheim Folk High School and completed a one-year programme and the first year of a bachelor’s degree in classical performance at the University of Stavanger. She was also selected for the Queen Sonja Opera Academy 2024/2025. She is currently continuing her studies at the Barratt Due Institute of Music under Liv Kjersti Sandve. Her performance experience includes Verdi’s Requiem, Dvořák’s Mass in D major, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni, both as a soloist and ensemble singer.

Amanda Kvammen is an 18-year-old singer currently studying at the Grieg Academy. Originally from Førde, she began singing at the age of eight at Sunnfjord Musikkskole (municipal music and arts school) and quickly developed a passion for classical music and opera. At fifteen, she moved to Bergen and joined the Grieg Academy’s Young Talents Programme (GUT), which she attended from 2024 to 2026. In 2022, she took part in the national music competition for the young; Ungdommens Musikkmesterskap (UMM), winning first prize in her age group. She has also received scholarships including Furorestipendet (2023) and Drømmestipendet (2026). Her operatic roles include Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, which she performed at the Vienna Opera Festival in 2025.

Andrija Sekulić is a baritone born in 2001 in Loznica, Serbia. He first studied flute at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade before beginning a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim with Professor Snežana Stamenković. He has won numerous first prizes at international competitions and received scholarships including the Richard Wagner Scholarship and the Fritz Wunderlich Scholarship. His operatic roles include Uberto in Pergolesi’s La serva padrona, the Professor in Hindemith’s Hin und zurück, the Commendatore and Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro and Harlekin in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. He is currently a guest artist at Oper Frankfurt and Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern. In August 2026, he will sing Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Operaosa Festival Montenegro. He also performs as a concert soloist and has worked with artists including Julia Lezhneva.

Bertine Marie Skovly is a 17-year-old classical singer from Bergen. She has taken singing lessons at Bergen Kulturskole (municipal music and arts school) since the age of eight and has been part of its advanced programme for the past four years, developing both her vocal technique and her love of classical repertoire. She is also a member of the Norwegian Youth Choir and has gained performance experience through art gallery events and as a soloist with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra at its annual Christmas concert. She sees the Nina Grieg Solo Song Competition as an opportunity to challenge herself, gain professional feedback and continue developing as a classical singer.

Elisabeth Drønen-Midtgård is a Norwegian soprano from Austevoll south of Bergen. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in classical voice at the University of Stavanger, where she studies with Bettina Smith, following earlier studies at Toneheim Folk High School. As a soloist, she has performed works including De profundis by Lully and Te Deum by Charpentier, and has worked with conductors such as Åsta Sirnes and Håvard Forvemo. She has a strong affinity for opera and art song and enjoys exploring a wide range of vocal repertoire.

Ellen Gahm is a 22-year-old lyric soprano from Sweden. She is in her second year of the bachelor’s programme in classical singing at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, studying with Bo Rosenkull and pianist Magnus Svensson. She previously attended Stockholm Music Gymnasium and Birkagården Folk High School. Her musical background began in choral singing and developed into solo performance, with a particular interest in opera, art song and sacred music. She has received several scholarships, including the Martin Öhman Scholarship, Kempe Carlgrenska Foundation and the Bifrost Order as well as the Franz Berwald Singing Scholarship. She has performed throughout Sweden, and her recent engagements include guest soloist at the Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde Christmas Concert in 2025 and in the opera chorus at Opera på Skäret. She has also participated in masterclasses and festivals such as the Birgit Nilsson Masterclass and Piteå Chamber Music Festival, as well as the Sicily Music Festival masterclass. She looks forward to performing with the KTH Academic Chapel Symphony Orchestra this autumn.

Felix Schulte was born in Berlin in 2006, received violin lessons from the age of four and spent twelve years as a member of the State and Cathedral Boys Choir of the Berlin University of the Arts, first as a soprano and later as a baritone. At thirteen, he developed a strong interest in church music and organ. He completed the C-programme in church music at the Berlin University of the Arts, with organ as his main subject, while also beginning vocal studies. In 2024, he won first prize in the organ and duo art song categories at Jugend musiziert and received several additional awards. Since 2025, he has studied voice with Professor Dirk Schmidt and organ as a secondary subject with Christoph Preiß at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig. As a soloist, he has performed at venues including the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin Cathedral and St. Jacobi in Lübeck.

Flavia Askevold is a 25-year-old Norwegian-Italian soprano currently pursuing a master’s degree in Vocal Performance at the Conservatory of Salerno, where she previously completed her bachelor’s degree under Professor Susanne Bungaard. Before studying in Italy, she received private vocal instruction in Norway from Professor Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz and Matthew Marriott. In 2024, she received the Sandnes Municipality Cultural Scholarship in recognition of her artistic achievements and professional potential. Askevold has appeared in numerous operatic productions in Italy and Norway. As a member of the Conservatory of Salerno Opera Chorus, she has performed at many opera productions by the Theatre Teatro Verdi in Salerno. Her recent operatic engagements include Barbarina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Accademia degli S. Vitati, Viterbo, July 2024), Despina in Così fan tutte and Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore at the Nessun Dorma Festival in Sardinia (July 2024), and the roles of Suora Infermiera and Una Conversa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, as well as Nella in Gianni Schicchi (Accademia degli S. Vitati, Viterbo, July 2026). In December 2025, she appeared as soprano soloist at the 25th Anniversary Concert of Sandnes Kulturhus, accompanied by the Sandnes Symphony Orchestra.

Gabriel Olsson is a baritone currently beginning his third year of the bachelor’s programme in opera in Gothenburg. Originally from Stockholm, he began his studies at Stockholm Operastudio. He has recently performed as a concert soloist in works including Mozart’s Requiem, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Bach’s St John Passion. In 2026, he makes his operatic debut as Baron Douphol in Skånska Operan’s production of La Traviata.

Ida Eid Tunestveit is a Norwegian soprano from Son, born in 2001. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in 2024, studying with Solveig Kringlebotn. She then completed a one-year opera programme at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and was selected for the opera programme associated with the Queen Sonja International Singing Competition. Since August 2025, she has been pursuing a master’s degree at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, where she studies with the acclaimed tenor Toby Spence. Her operatic roles include Donna Elvira and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, the mother in Hänsel und Gretel, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus and Madame Lidoine in Dialogues des Carmélites.

Jacqueline Lanzrein was born in 2005 and is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree in Classical Music Performance, voice, with Professor Bettina Smith. From August 2023 to May 2024, she studied voice as her main instrument at Toneheim Folk High School with Anna Sundstrøm Otervik and participated in a vocal ensemble directed by Heidi Granlund. Since August 2024, she has also been a singer with Stavanger Studentsangforening, directed by Åsta Sirnes, singing second soprano and first alto. From 2025 to 2026, she was a member of the Norwegian Youth Choir, directed by Julia Selina Blank and Oddgeir Kjetilstad, as second alto.

Karen Sofie Nilsen Hafskjold is a 23-year-old singer from Drammen. She began her musical education through Barratt Due’s Young Talents Programme and completed her bachelor’s degree at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen in spring 2025. In recent years, she has participated in public masterclasses with artists including Barbara Hannigan, Helmut Deutsch and Anne Sofie von Otter. She has also appeared as a soloist with Concerto Copenhagen on several occasions. Since autumn 2025, she has been pursuing a master’s degree in classical singing at the Royal Danish Academy of Music under the guidance of Tuva Semmingsen.

Kristaps Kumsārs is a 17-year-old classical singer studying vocal music at Riga Cathedral Choir School, where he has developed his vocal skills over the past two years. The programme prepares students for careers as soloists and professional choir singers. He has participated in numerous vocal competitions and concerts and received the Young Singer Award at the international vocal competition VOX IUVENTAE. As a member of the boys’ choir, he has performed in three opera productions at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. His goal is to continue refining his vocal artistry and pursue a professional career as an opera singer.

Kristina Polov is a young Estonian mezzo-soprano. She began her musical education as a pianist with Kai Ratassepp and is currently studying choral conducting at the Tallinn College of Music and Ballet with Ingrid Kõrvits, alongside vocal studies with Kristina Vähi and guidance from Kammersängerin Annely Peebo. In 2025, she received Second Prize at the Estonian National Classical Singing Competition Estonian Voices and Third Prize at the International Competition-Festival The Golden Leaf. She was also a semifinalist in the Tallinn 2026 competition. She has participated in masterclasses with Thomas Wiedenhofer, Ance Kirse and Monika Hauswalter. Kristina currently collaborates with the young pianist Marii Heleen Matesen and performs with early music ensembles in Estonia under the guidance of Reinut Tepp.

Kristoffer Dyblie Erdal is a Norwegian bass-baritone who has recently completed his second year at the Norwegian Academy of Music, where he studies Music Education with classical voice as his principal subject. From autumn 2026, he will continue his artistic training at the Queen Sonja Opera Academy. He grew up singing with the Norwegian Boys’ Choir (Sølvguttene), performing for many years as both chorister and soloist, and was also a member of the Norwegian Youth Choir in 2022 and 2023. In 2025, he participated in the Viterbo International Opera Festival in Italy, performing in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He is dedicated to developing his vocal technique and artistic expression and to pursuing a career as both a concert and opera singer.

Leon Seferi is a 22-year-old tenor who has completed the first year of the bachelor’s programme in Vocal Performance at the Barratt Due Institute of Music. He has also worked with Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz and Matthew Marriott and participated in their Toneheim and Viterbo masterclasses for two consecutive years. He has performed in Don Giovanni and sang the role of Gherardo in Viterbo. He sees the Nina Grieg Solo Song Competition as an exciting opportunity to gain valuable experience and continue developing as a singer.

Līna Gogule is a second-year student at Riga Cathedral Choir School and a soprano with a bright tone and growing stage presence. Her interest in opera began with Jānis Lūsēns’ The Bird’s Opera. She has participated in local vocal competitions and the International Vocal Competition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where she was the youngest participant. Alongside her classical studies, she performs Latvian traditional folk dance. She is particularly interested in broadening her artistic and intellectual perspective and aims to continue her studies at a prestigious music academy. She is proud to represent Latvia through her music and hopes to share its name internationally.

Marica Lina Bisogno is an Italian soprano, born in 2001, who has built an active operatic career across prominent venues. She earned her bachelor’s degree in opera singing from Conservatorio G. B. Pergolesi in Fermo, where she is currently pursuing dual master’s degrees in opera singing under Mº Monica Bacelli and chamber vocal music under Mº Valentina Coladonato. Her training includes studies at Accademia d’Arte Lirica di Osimo, Scuola dell’Opera Italiana under Fiorenza Cedolins and various masterclasses. Her recent and upcoming roles include Marianna in Il signor Bruschino (Teatro Bibiena, Mantua), the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte (Accademia Maria Callas), Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Bologna Festival), and Grilletta in Lo Speziale (Teatro Concordia). She has also performed Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at Teatro La Fenice, Mimì in La Bohème at the Macerata Opera Festival, and Suor Dolfina in Suor Angelica. Additionally, she appeared as a stage performer in Rigoletto at the Arena Sferisterio. Her selected concert engagements include recitals for Armonie della Sera and Donne in Musica, a television appearance on RAI’s Viva il Video Box, and singing national anthems at the Futsal World Cup. Bisogno is a recipient of top honors, including 1st Prize at the 11th “Città di Massa” International Competition (2026). She was also awarded scholarships from the Accademia d’Arte Lirica di Osimo.

Max Gustav Zeuthen is a 20-year-old tenor who studied at Mozarteum University Salzburg with Professor Christoph Strehl until 2026 and will now continue his studies with Reinaldo Macias in Copenhagen. He has also participated in international masterclasses and concert projects and remains active in church music and concert moderation. His artistic profile is characterised by musical sensitivity, technical discipline and a strong commitment to vocal and interpretative development across both lyrical and dramatic repertoire. He began his musical education with the Danish National Boys’ Choir (Det Danske Drengekor), where he gained a strong musical foundation and early stage experience. As a boy soprano, he appeared at the Royal Danish Theatre in productions including La Bohème, Othello and Tosca.

Olivers Veldre is a 17-year-old Latvian composer and conductor studying in the second year of the choral conducting programme at Riga Cathedral Choir School. He has been part of the school community since 2014 and has gained extensive experience in choral and solo performance through concert work with the Riga Cathedral Boys Choir. He has participated successfully in vocal competitions and performed in several productions at the Latvian National Opera as both choir member and soloist. He also studied cello for six years. Since 2023, he has been a member of the Riga Cathedral Choir School Mixed Choir, which won the Grand Prix at the 55th Tolosa Choral Contest in 2024. In 2024, he joined the youth choir “Kamēr…”, which won the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in 2025.

Reinis Liepiņš is an 18-year-old bass-baritone from Sigulda, Latvia. He played French horn for nine years before beginning classical vocal studies at Riga Cathedral Choir School two years ago. His interest in singing was inspired by baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and his ambition is to become a world-class operatic baritone, with Rodrigo in Verdi’s Don Carlo as a dream role. He has performed with wind bands and symphony orchestras at events across Latvia and began competing internationally in 2025, winning Second Prize at Liepājas Amber Voices and later the Grand Prix at the Teodors Reiters International Vocalist and Instrumentalist Competition. In 2026, he decided to broaden his experience beyond Latvia.

Vilde Jønholt is a Norwegian soprano who holds a bachelor’s degree in classical singing from the University of Stavanger and recently completed the one-year opera programme at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO). During the 2025/2026 season, she participated in the Opera Academy organised by the Queen Sonja Singing Competition. In 2024, she made her role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro in Italy and performed Zerlina in Don Giovanni for Opera Rogaland. In 2025, she sang Adina in L’elisir d’amore at the University of Stavanger and returned to Italy as Zerlina in Viterbo. At KHiO, she has performed Sandrina in La finta giardiniera, Lisa in La sonnambula and Ilia in Idomeneo. This summer, she makes her role debuts as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Genovieffa in Suor Angelica.

Wiktoria Boroń was born in 2001 in Kraków, Poland, and is currently pursuing vocal studies at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice with Professor Ewa Biegas. During her third year of studies, she made her operatic debut as Norina in Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale under the baton of Jurek Dubał. In 2026, she has performed the role of Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Sudecka Philharmonic and the Municipal Theatre in Jawor, the soprano solo in Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata Was willst du dich betrüben (BWV 107) and the soprano part in Bach’s St John Passion at the Concert Hall of the Academy of Music in Katowice, and appeared twice as the Queen of the Night in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Silesian Opera in Opava. She is a laureate of numerous international vocal competitions, including First Prize and the Special Award for Most Promising Soprano at the 3rd Halina Słonicka International Vocal Competition in 2025, Third Prize and special awards for stage personality and interpretation at Pražský Pěvec in 2026, as well as other special awards.

Zuzanna Pala is a young Polish soprano from Bielsko-Biała. She studies classical voice at the State Primary and Secondary Music School in Katowice while also pursuing her general education at a Private Information Technology Secondary School. She has distinguished herself at numerous national and international vocal competitions, receiving prizes at the Bogdan Paprocki National Vocal Competition in Warsaw, the Maria Stankowa National Vocal Festival in Olsztyn, the International Halina Słonicka Vocal Arts Competition, and the National Polish Music Competition in Jarosław. In 2025, she was also named a finalist of the Ludomir Różycki National Vocal Competition in Gliwice. Her repertoire encompasses opera, oratorio, and art song, including works by Mozart, Dvořák, Bach, Pergolesi, Moniuszko, Paderewski, Różycki, and Żeleński. Through regular participation in concerts and competitions, she continues to develop her artistic expression and stage experience.