Egyptian Soprano Fatma Said Wins International Singing Competition

Egyptian soprano singer Fatma Said has won the 8th Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in Dublin, Ireland, landing at the top of the competition’s six finalists.

24-year-old Said performed three arias, accompanied by the Wexford Festival Opera, according to Raidió Teilifís Éireann.

The competition hosted singers representing 180 countries, with only six singers reaching the final stage.

“I can’t remember a time when I fell in love with singing. I always loved singing and I always loved music, particularly music, because I came to love opera at a later stage of my life. I must say that being at a German school in Cairo helped me a lot to develop a taste of classical music,” Said told RTÉ.

Since making her debut at the Cairo Opera House at the age of 14, Said has performed at various events and venues, including the Royal Opera House of Muscat and at the United Nations in Geneva.

She won two prizes at the 7th Leyla Gencer Voice Competition in Turkey in 2012, in addition to various other awards and accolades.

She is also one of ten individuals worldwide and the first Egyptian to be awarded a scholarship to attend La Scala Academy in Milan.