Renowned opera singers Ruxandra Donose, Leontina Vaduva and Ramon Vargas will train 23 young musicians at the fourth edition of the International Salbek Opera Masterclass, to be held on the grounds of Salbek Castle in Petris, Arad County.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Monday, the participants, selected from more than 70 musicians who applied from the UK, Switzerland, France, Italy, Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and Romania, will have the opportunity to study vocal and performance techniques with the three internationally acclaimed artists.

'I feel that we have truly come to know this place and that it has come to know us. Every year brings new young people, new voices; some return, but the joy of seeing how they transform in just a few days remains the same. It is exactly the kind of energy that makes me want to come back,' mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose said.

According to Ramon Vargas, the event provides a setting that differs from the usual study environment, giving young musicians the opportunity to make friends, learn from the masters and from one another, and connect with nature and with themselves.

'This camp in Romania has become, for me, a fixture of every summer. I am happy to be back for the fourth edition, because this place has something that few classrooms can offer: the peace to truly listen to a young voice and the time to guide it without haste,' Vargas said.

Ana Maria Mihaescu, president of the Castel Salbek Association, which organises the event, said that an increasing number of young musicians from around the world see the programme as a genuine training opportunity.

'Salbek is no longer just a promise, but a landmark. We are delighted that artists of this calibre choose to return year after year,' she said.

The International Salbek Opera Masterclass will conclude with the Salbek Opera Festival Gala, to be held outdoors in Arad City Hall Square on August 23 at 8:00 pm, as part of the closing events of Arad Days.

The gala will feature the Arad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Crescenzi, soloists Paula Iancic, Ruxandra Donose and Ramon Vargas, together with the best participants in the Salbek Opera Masterclass 2026 and soprano Leontina Vaduva. The programme will include well-known works from the operatic repertoire by Puccini, Verdi, Saint-Saens and Bizet. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)

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