2018 International Opera Awards Winners Announced

The sixth International Opera Awards took place tonight at the London Coliseum. The 2018 winners were announced at the black-tie ceremony, hosted for the third year running by BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny.

With over one hundred finalists representing six continents and thirty countries, the winners of the Opera Awards - opera's equivalent to the Oscars - were selected by an international jury chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera magazine and classical music critic with The Daily Telegraph.

This year the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the Spanish mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza who gave her heartfelt thanks to the International Opera Awards: "It is with great emotion that I receive this priceless prize on behalf of an entire generation - those still amongst us and those who've left us - hoping we've accomplished our mission, and now leaving the spotlight for you all. Many, many thanks."

The award for Female Singer went to Swedish soprano Malin Byström, whilst Polish tenor Piotr Becza?a was awarded the Male Singer award. The coveted Readers' Award went to Pretty Yende, last year's winner for Solo Recital Recording, who received more than 10,000 votes online. Further award winners include Vladimir Jurowski (Conductor), Mariusz Treli?ski (Director), Bayerische Staatsoper (Opera Company), Festival Verdi Parma (Festival), Teatro Real's production of Billy Budd (New Production), Brett Dean's Hamlet at Glyndebourne Festival Opera (World Premiere), Opera Holland Park (Education and Outreach) and Annette Campbell-White (Philanthropy).

Celebrating the best of the international opera world while raising funds for the Opera Awards Foundation, the evening was also a showcase for both current and emerging opera stars, with live performances by international singers Anne Sophie Duprels, Brindley Sherratt, Toby Spence and Camilla Tilling, as well as three Young Singer finalists Gordon Bintner, Wallis Giunta and Anush Hovhannisyan.

BBC Radio 3, which has partnered with the International Opera Awards for the second year running, will once again broadcast highlights from the ceremony in a special 90-minute programme on Sunday 15 April at 9.15pm.

Founded in 2012 by businessman and philanthropist Harry Hyman, the International Opera Awards exists not only to celebrate established stars, but to support the next generation of talent. The Awards raises money for the Opera Awards Foundation, a charity which provides bursaries to aspiring operatic talent around the world.

All categories except for the Readers' Award (the only vote open to the general public) are decided on by a select jury of international industry members. Category sponsors at this year's Awards include the Good Governance Institute, The Vineyard, the Royal Opera House Muscat and Charles Heidsieck Champagne. The Awards are supported by Nexus Group.

See all the winners below!

CHORUS
MusicAeterna

CONDUCTOR
Vladimir Jurowski

DESIGNER
Paul Steinberg

DIRECTOR
Mariusz Treli?ski

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
Opera Holland Park

FEMALE SINGER
Malin Byström

FESTIVAL
Festival Verdi Parma

LEADERSHIP IN OPERA
Bernd Loebe

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Teresa Berganza

MALE SINGER
Piotr Becza?a

NEW PRODUCTION
Britten: Billy Budd, d. Deborah Warner (Teatro Real, Madrid)

NEWCOMER
Barbora Horáková Joly (Director)

OPERA COMPANY
Bayerische Staatsoper

OPERA ORCHESTRA
Teatro alla Scala, Milan

PHILANTHROPY
Annette Campbell-White

READERS' AWARD
Pretty Yende

RECORDING (COMPLETE OPERA)
Berlioz: Les Troyens (Erato)

RECORDING (SOLO RECITAL)
Veronique Gens: Visions (Alpha)

REDISCOVERED WORK
Krenek: Drei Opern (Oper Frankfurt)

WORLD PREMIERE
Brett Dean: Hamlet (Glyndebourne)

YOUNG SINGER
Wallis Giunta

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