VOICExperience has announced that soprano Sydney Fabregas is the Grand Prize winner of the 16th annual Opera Idol competition.

Fabregas is an American soprano pursuing a career in classical performance who has performed in opera and music-theater. She will complete her Carnegie Mellon University Master&’s degree this year.

In a statement, Milnes VOICE Programs’ Executive Director Chad Sonka said, “The judges had a very hard decision this year selecting just one winner. In the end, what set Sydney [Fabregas] apart was her opulent voice and we believe that the Milnes VOICE Studio will strengthen her gift even more and catapult her career above and beyond.”

The competition, which is sponsored by The Tom Lysaught Scholarship Fund, provides young singers from around the country with the opportunity to compete for a full scholarship to attend and study at the Milnes VOICE Studio. This summer the Milnes VOICE Studio will be held at Iowa State University.

This year’s jury was comprised of Presidents and Co-Founders of the Milnes VOICE Programs Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves, Artistic Director Jorge Parodi, Andrew Bisantz with the Eugene Opera, Dr. Bernard J. Dobroski with Northwestern University, and Milnes VOICE Programs’ Composer-in-Residence Michael Ching.

VOICExperience will be broadcasting the competition recording on May 29 and is free to watch at www.voicexperiencefoundation.org.