28 year old American soprano Nicole Cabell came to the attention of the opera world overnight when, in June 2005, she won what has become the most important competition for young opera singers and was crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. The competition jury included legendary singers Dame Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne and the win placed Nicole Cabell in a distinguished line of Cardiff prize-winners that includes Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Bryn Terfel.