Yurii Strakhov wins the 2026 Concours Kattenburg in Lausanne

Yurii Strakhov, a baritone with an opera master's from the Hochschule der Künste Bern (HKB), won the Concours Kattenburg on 16 October 2026.¹ In the final at the Opéra de Lausanne, six finalists each sang two arias, accompanied by the HEMU orchestra under Jean-Marie Zeitouni.² First prize carries 25'000 francs; second went to the soprano Lisa Tourniaire, third to the soprano Mathilde Louvat.¹

Leandro Suarez, general director of the Nouvel Opéra Fribourg, chaired the final's jury, joined by the directors of the houses in Lausanne, Geneva and Biel-Solothurn.²

After four editions reserved for HEMU, the competition opened in 2026 to students and recent graduates of every Swiss university of music.²³ Of more than 80 applications, 48 were accepted.² With its next edition announced for autumn 2028, the competition now speaks to young opera singers from across Switzerland.²