Meet the Jury of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition 2027!
The jury represents a great deal of experience in opera, casting, artistic planning and the development of singers’ careers.
As the jury leader, we find Michael Heaston, Deputy General Manager of The Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Heaston oversees the company’s artistic department, including artistic planning and casting, and has extensive experience working with emerging singers. His career has also included leadership roles at the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Met, Houston Grand Opera Studio, Washington National Opera and Glimmerglass Festival. He is a frequent adjudicator and clinician and has served on the juries of numerous international vocal competitions.
Joining him is Sophie de Lint, Director of Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.
De Lint has held the position since 2018, following senior artistic and administrative roles at opera houses and artist management agencies in Europe. Her career has included positions at the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Zurich Opera, as well as extensive work in artist management, where she specialised in the discovery and development of young opera singers. She has also served as a jury member for several major international singing competitions.
Serge Dorny, General Manager of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, brings decades of experience at the highest levels of international opera and classical music.
Before taking up his position in Munich in 2021, Dorny was General Director of the Opéra national de Lyon for almost two decades. He has also held leadership positions at the Festival of Flanders and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His work has consistently combined artistic ambition with a strong commitment to developing audiences and broadening the reach of opera.
The jury also includes Isla Mundell-Perkins, Director of Artistic Administration at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Casting Consultant for Malmö Opera.
She previously served as Casting Director at the Hamburg State Opera and has worked with English National Opera and Intermusica, as well as acting as a casting consultant to Opera Australia, Shenzhen Opera and Kent Nagano for his Wagner cycles with the Dresdner Festspiele. Before moving into opera administration, she was a professional violinist and studied at the University of Oxford. Her experience gives her a particularly close understanding of singers and the qualities needed to build a lasting international career.
Norwegian mezzo-soprano and opera director Randi Stene brings both an artist’s and an artistic leader’s perspective to the jury.
She has been Opera Director at Norwegian National Opera & Ballet since 2020. Before that, she was Opera Director and Casting Director at Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera. Stene enjoyed a major international singing career, performing at leading opera houses and concert venues around the world, and remains closely connected to the development of the next generation of artists.
Alex Taylor, Artistic Strategy and Planning Manager at the Oslo Philharmonic, completes the confirmed members of the jury.
Taylor has extensive experience in artistic planning and programming and previously worked as Director of Programming at the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra before joining the Oslo Philharmonic. His perspective from the symphonic world adds another dimension to a jury whose members bring expertise from across the wider classical music and opera field.
Together, the jury brings a broad range of perspectives on what it takes for a young singer to make the transition from promising talent to an international career.
We already look forward to welcoming the jury to Oslo in 2027!