Jury Member
XXII Competition, May 28–31, 2026
National Theatre in Belgrade
(Senior Categories)
Ileš Bečei, tenor, obtained his master's degree in solo singing at the Academy of Music in East Sarajevo, making his debut as Don Ottavio in W. A. Mozart's "Don Giovanni". He began his professional engagement in 2011 as a chorister in the Opera of the National Theatre in Sarajevo, debuting in the role of Triquet (P. I. Tchaikovsky – "Eugene Onegin"), and continued with a series of solo and episodic roles: Camille de Rosillon (F. Lehár – "The Merry Widow"), Edwin Ronald (E. Kálmán – "The Csárdás Princess"), Gaston de Letorières and Giuseppe (G. Verdi – "La Traviata"), Borsa (G. Verdi – "Rigoletto"), Count of Lerma and a Herald (G. Verdi – "Don Carlo"), Gerardo (G. Puccini – "Gianni Schicchi"), Parpignol (G. Puccini – "La Bohème"), Osman Pasha, Ali-Pasha Fidahić, and Herr Appel (A. Horozić – "The Dragon of Bosnia"), Count Almaviva (G. Rossini – "The Barber of Seville"), Second Priest and First Armoured Man (W. A. Mozart – "The Magic Flute"), Conductor (G. Donizetti – "Viva la Mamma"), A Lad (J. Gotovac – "Ero the Joker"), Vašek (B. Smetana – "The Bartered Bride"), Mirko/Petar Petrović (I. Tijardović – "Little Floramye"), Spoletta (G. Puccini – "Tosca"), Vuk Dabišić (A. Jazić – "Tvrtko, King of Bosnia"), Uldino (G. Verdi – "Attila"), Joe (G. Gershwin – "Blue Monday"), Goro (G. Puccini – "Madama Butterfly"), Pluto (J. Offenbach – "Orpheus in the Underworld"), Don Curzio (W. A. Mozart – "The Marriage of Figaro"), Reginald Smiley (I. Tijardović – "Adventure in Shanghai"), and Galerius (I. Tijardović – "Diocletian"). He is a permanent soloist of the Opera of the National Theatre in Sarajevo.
Awards and recognitions
He has won numerous awards at international competitions: 1st prize at the International Solo Singers Competition "Bruna Špiler" in Herceg Novi, 2nd prize at the International Solo Singers Competition "Nikola Cvejić" in Ruma, 2nd prize at the competition within the music manifestation "Obzorja na Tisi – Josif Marinković Days", etc.
He is the winner of the annual award of the National Theatre Sarajevo for the best supporting male operatic role as Mirko / Petar Petrović in the operetta "Little Floramye". He has participated in over 100 concerts, performances, and other engagements in almost all cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, countries in the region, and Europe: Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, England, Turkey, and Hungary.