On Thursday, September 19 Hibla has arrived in Sochi to be a member of the jury for the 5th Valeria Barsova Open Vocal Competition, named after Russian famous operatic-soprano. The Competition is being held in Sochi every two years since 2003. One of the unique things of the competition is that the contestants may sing arias, folk songs or romances only of Russian composers. The opening Gala concert was perforrmed on Friday, September 20, where Hibla has sung the cavatina and cabaletta from Bellini’s Norma as well as the duet of Otello and Desdemona from Verdi’s Otello alongside Badri Maisuradze, a lead dramatic tenor with the Bolshoi Opera. The Competition will conclude on Thursday, September 26 with the award ceremony and the final concert of all laureates.