Students of 2013-2015

Born in 1984 in Medellín Colombia, Christian (baritone) began studying music in the Instituto de Bellas Artes where he played guitar. He joined la Red de Orquestras y Bandas de Medellín and sung at the choir in the Fundación Pro-Lirica de Antioquia for three years. After moving to Portugal in 2007 he attended the Musicology course at Universidade Nova and the Singing course at the Conservatório Nacional (EMCN), where he studied with Manuela de Sá and José Manuel Brandão.

Performed in Grand Théâtre Geneva, Nederlandse Reisopera, Flanders opera, La Monnaie Brussels, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Opera House of Luzern, Opera House of Montpellier, Royal Opera House of Wallonie/Liège, Oberammergau-Festival.

Education before IOA:
Denzil Delaere (Belgium, tenor) started his musical education at the age of six at the public music academy of Deinze. At the age of 14 he had the chance to continue his musical studies at the Kunsthumaniora Ghent where he graduated Cum Laude. He continued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent studying with Marcos Pujol and Gidon Saks. During these studies he had the opportunity to work with musical directors such as Dirk Brossé and Michel Tilkin.

Follow his career here.

Visit his personal website here.

Read his testimonial about the IOA here.

Helene Bracke is a mezzo-soprano, actress and theater creator. She is known for her cross-overprojects. She decided not to follow one small road in her musical career, but a broad one with a lot of different possibilities. She is a soloist with classical orchestras, but also the frontwoman of progrockband ‘Al di Miseria’. Next to that she writes theater texts for young and old.

Visit her personal website here.

Performed in Staatstheater Darmstadt, Rossini Opera Festival, Alden-Biesen Zomeropera, Opera Vlaanderen (Antwerp/Gent), Theater Kiel, the Eutin Festival, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Teatro Trindade, Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon, Casa da Música in Porto, Theater Heidelberg, Rokokotheater Schwetzingen.

Education before IOA:
Born in 1987, João Terleira (tenor) began his musical studies in Viana do Castelo (Portugal). As a singer, he is often invited to perform as Oratorio and Recital soloist in Portugal and Spain. He worked with conductors as Paul Hillier, António Saiote, Laurence Cummings, Julián Lombana, James Wood, Paul McReesh, Javier Viceiro and Francesco Belli and with directors as Peter Konwitschny, Sara Erlingsdotter and Antonio Durães. João studied in ESMAE (Porto – Portugal).

Follow his career here.

Performed in Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen, Teatro Helena Sá e Costa Porto, Wuppertaler Bühnen and Opera Dortmund.

Liliana de Sousa (Portugal, mezzo-soprano) began her musical studies in Escola de Música Maiorff in Maia, Portugal. In 2013, she graduated from Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espectáculo of Porto.

She has worked with conductors including António Saiote, Artur Pinho Maria, Bruno Martins, João Paulo Fernandes, Pedro Teixeira and Toby Hoffman, in both Opera and Oratorio and with stage directors as António Durães, Peter Konwitschny and Marcos Barbosa in productions ranging from Mozart to contemporary opera.

Follow her career here.

Visit her personal website here.

Milica Ilić (1985) is a pianist from Serbia, specialized in chamber music and accompaniment. Her repertoire covers a wide range of musical styles and she performs in various types of chamber ensembles. She is currently full time employed as an accompanist for solo singers at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, Serbia.

Born in Japan, Mirei started her study in Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo. She continued her education in Zurich & Stuttgart, where she specialised in Lied interpretation and Opera accompaniment.

Read her testimonial about the IOA here.

Works as house pianist in Bremen Theatre, Germany.

Visit her personal website here.

Sarah McCourt hails from Dundalk in Ireland. She began singing at the age of 11 in her hometown with local teacher Geraldine McGee where she had the opportunity to perform in productions in the town hall and local venues. She then advanced to study singing in the Conservatory of Music in Dublin and continued further studies in The Royal Irish Academy of Music. Sarah sang for 10 years in the Cathedral Choir in her hometown where her father is Organist and Choirmaster.

Performed in Philharmonie Essen, Antwerp Opera, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Prinzregententheater München, Flagey in Brussels and Summer Opera Alden Biesen.

Thomas Schütz obtained his Master’s Degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, in 2013. Two years later, he graduated as an IOA Laureate.
Besides his career as a Lied and opera singer, Thomas also works as Education Consultant and Member of the Management Board of the Internationale Stiftung zur Förderung von Kultur und Zivilisation in München. In 2017 he founded the concert series Nightingale natur|kultur.