The English National Opera (ENO) Mini Operas was an online competition to find emerging opera talent from across the world. The groundbreaking and innovative worldwide search for new composers, writers and filmmakers, aimed to help create the future of opera. The hunt for exciting visionaries took place entirely online and in conjunction with Mini Operas partners Vimeo, Soundcloud, British Film Institute, British Council, Classic FM, Sound and Music and The London Film School.

At the end of Mini Operas, winners were judged to have a special talent benefitted with close personal help from some of the industry’s best people.

Lori Ann Stephens is the winner of the script writing competition. She was chosen by the BAFTA Award winning composer, writer and director Jeremy Sams. Lori’s story, The Lingerer, delicately tells the story of a woman in the aftermath of the loss of her young son.

In the soundtrack competition, composer Nico Muhly, whose opera Two Boys premiered at ENO last year, chose Roger Assar Johansson for his soundtrack to the story Wreckage of Dreams.

Both winners will spend nine months working with their mentors to develop their work in their winning category.

You can read more about the competition on the ENO Mini Operas website.