Maestros Ruxandra Donose, Ramón Vargas and Leontina Văduva will teach 23 young people from six countries (Turkey, Columbia, Brazil, France, the Republic of Moldova an Romania), who will take part, from the 19th to the 24th of August, in the third edition of the International Salbek Opera Masterclass, the only masterclass of its kind in Romania, which, the same as the first two editions, will be held on the Salbek Castle Estate, Petriș, Arad County.
The International Salbek Opera Masterclass is an international event, which gives the 23 participants the opportunity to study canto and performance techniques with three opera singers of international stature: mezzosoprano Ruxandra Donose, tenor Ramón Vargas and soprano Leontina Văduva.
“I remember how at the beginning of my career my encounters with great artists changed my path. At Salbek I see the same spark in the eyes of these young people–the desire to give their all onstage. It is an energy that inspires me too to be better,” says mezzosoprano Ruxandra Donose.
The International Salbek Opera Masterclass will take place from the 19th to the 24th of August 2025 on the Salbek Castle Estate, Petriș, Arad County, in two rooms of the castle and at the local house of culture.
These are settings different from the context for study, allowing the young musicians to strike up friendships, to learn from the maestros, as well as from each other, to connect with nature and themselves, as Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas points out: “This music camp in Romania brings me great joy every year. I am glad that I will also be at the third edition, because one of the important aspects of this masterclass is the setting where we will all find ourselves: in the midst of nature, surrounded by the beauty of the Romanian village. The standard of the course participants is very high, and I am convinced that we will take pleasure in learning from each other during the course of these days.”
The International Salbek Opera Masterclass will culminate int the Salbek Opera Festival Gala, an open-air event to be held in Arad City Hall Plaza on the 24th of August, starting at eight p.m., and featuring the Arad Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor: David Crescenzi, soloists: Anita Hartig, Ruxandra Donose, Ramón Vargas, along with the best students from Opera Masterclass 2025 and soprano Leontina Văduva. The programme will include famous works from the opera repertoire of Puccini, Bellini, Offenbach, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and more.
The Salbek courses are a huge opportunity for the young students, says soprano Leontina Văduva: “I encourage all of them to take advantage of these few days not only to perfect their technique, but also to open themselves up to the audience, to feeling. It is an experience that can change not only careers, but also people.”
The Gala will mark the close of the 2025 Salbek Opera Masterclass as well as the opening of Arad Days 2025, and is held in partnership with Arad City Council, the Arad City Cultural Centre, and the Arad State Philharmonic.