International superstars are guests
Elīna Garanča loves sharing the stage with rising stars and established singers to thrill audiences. This year, opera singers Hera Hyesang Park and Angel Romero are set to leave the audience breathless.
Hera Hyesang Park
The soprano Hera Hyesang Park, praised for her ‘radiant, seemingly effortless singing’ (The Times) and her ‘sense of pure joy and enthusiasm’ (OperaWire), is noted for her exquisite voice, her captivating stage presence and her profound artistic vision. As a graduate of The Juilliard School, she blends her Korean heritage with Western traditions, delivering performances characterised by tonal richness, flawless technique and a confident charisma.
In the 2025/26 season, Hera Hyesang Park will return to the Metropolitan Opera, the Edinburgh International Festival and Boston Baroque. She will also make her debut with several leading international orchestras, including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Her recent highlights include concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, as well as opera performances at the Metropolitan Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, the Opéra de Paris and the Glyndebourne Festival.
Hera Hyesang Park, Photo: Bruno Grandi
Angel Romero
Following his much-praised international debut as the Singer in Strauss’s ‘Der Rosenkavalier’, conducted by Philippe Jordan at the Vienna State Opera, the American lyric tenor Angel Romero recently made his debut at De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam in the same role, conducted by Lorenzo Viotti. Romero was honoured with second place and the Zarzuela Prize at the 2024 Operalia Competition.
In the 2025/26 season, Romero will make his debut as Rodolfo in Puccini’s ‘La bohème’ at the Opéra National de Lorraine and at several other French opera houses. He will also accompany the Vienna State Opera on its tour of Japan and make his concert debut with the Munich Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. His recent highlights include engagements at the Vienna State Opera, De Nationale Opera, Austin Opera and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. As a former Resident Artist with the Pittsburgh Opera, he impressed audiences in roles including Ferrando in Così fan tutte. Romero was semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition and winner of the Eleonor MacCollum Competition.
Angel Romero, Photo: Alex Pregrasso
Günel Shirinova
The soprano Günel Shirinova impressed the jury of the ‘ZukunftsStimmen’ initiative for young talent and took first place. The 21-year-old is currently studying singing at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and will now perform alongside Elīna Garanča at ‘Klassik unter Sternen’ in 2026. Earlier this year, the Kazakh singer performed as a soloist at the New Year’s Concert alongside the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, demonstrating her talent.
Günel Shirinova, Photo: Katharina Schiffl
This year, the artists will be accompanied by the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria, which promises a captivating musical experience. As always, Barbara Rett will charmingly guide us through the evening.
