Winners Revealed at the 2024 International Opera Awards

The power of opera to transform lives and societies was celebrated tonight in Munich as the 11th edition of the International Opera Awards was livestreamed to global audiences.

The world’s only Awards reflecting the scale and impact of opera, the International Opera Awards are held to not only recognise and celebrate exceptional achievement but also raise funds for the Opera Awards Foundation.

Ensuring access to training and performances was a running leitmotif throughout the evening with performances from singers supported by the Foundation, as trailblazers, visionaries and exceptional creative talents won awards.

The event, hosted by the BBC’s Petroc Trelawny, featured performances from the renowned Bayerische Staatsorchester, which recently celebrated its 500th anniversary, conducted by its Music Director and 2018 International Opera Awards Conductor of the Year Vladimir Jurowski. They were joined on stage for performances by several of the night’s winners, along with standout soloists from the Bayerische Staatsoper and emerging stars from the Opera Award Foundation.

Among the soloists was Mexican tenor Arturo Chacón Cruz, who won the only public vote with the Readers’ Award, gave a beautiful performance of ‘Cielo e mar’ from Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, and sensational Icelandic mezzo soprano Arnheiður Eiríksdóttir – who tied with American baritone Justin Austin as the 2024 Rising Star sponsored by Nexus Media Group – showcased her impressive talent with ‘Que fais-tu’ from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

Harry Hyman, founder of the International Opera Awards, said: “Opera doesn’t take a village. It takes the world. Every performance unites a global cast of singers, musicians, directors, technical staff and management, and fosters collaboration across borders, creating performances that inspire, challenge and captivate millions each year.  The International Opera Awards celebrates the very best from all areas of this incredible art form and honours the passion and talent of the companies and individuals who work tirelessly to bring its transformative power to audiences.”

Best-selling novelist Donna Leon, whose love and knowledge of opera shines through in her popular Commissario Guido Brunetti series, presented the award for Rediscovered Work, celebrating lost and forgotten gems which have been staged this year. MusikTheater an der Wien won for its production of Salieri’s opera Kublai Khan. The opera’s premiere was cancelled in 1788 when it fell victim to the Austrian censors after Kaiser Joseph II forged a surprise alliance with Catherine the Great to fend off the Turks and was never staged in Salieri’s lifetime. 

Another previously lost opera triumphed in the Complete Opera Recording category, won by Bru Zane for its bold revival of Louise Bertin’s 1831 all-but-forgotten opera Fausto, brought back to life for this recording by Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques.  Solo Recording saw Michael Spyres, who has previously won two International Opera Awards, triumph once again for his album In the Shadows on Erato.

A powerful moment came when Opera for Peace was honoured with the Equal Opportunities & Impact award for its acclaimed work supporting singers from under-resourced backgrounds and for promoting social justice. Its work was vividly underscored in 2024 by Axelle Saint-Cirel, an Opera for Peace Artist, who sang the French national anthem at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, symbolising unity and hope throughout the world.

Julia Lagahuzère, Opera for Peace’s General Director said: “Thank you for this very important recognition. We believe that equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion will only enrich artistic experiences on stage, allowing artists to become citizen artists, making an impact on their communities through opera, becoming role models for the next generation and very importantly, bringing in new audiences.”

In another emotional moment the late Peter Eötvos was celebrated for his final opera, Valuska, premiered by Hungarian State Opera in December 2023, just weeks before the composer’s death. On collecting the Award for World Premiere, sponsored by Oberon Investments, the production’s director Bence Varga said of the late composer “Peter, thank you for this journey, thank you for connecting us together again today. I will always remember you, and I definitely know I am not alone in this. Let us come together to celebrate the magic of opera and to cherish the memory of Peter Eötvos.”

Another highlight of the evening was the Lifetime Achievement Award for the legendary Belgian bass baritone José van Dam. Celebrated for his rich voice, dramatic intensity and exceptional versatility, he has excelled in more than 150 roles, including multiple world premieres and through his performances and recordings is one of the most famous voices of our generation. Van Dam received his award from fellow Belgian and General Director of Bayerische Staatsoper, Serge Dorny who described him as “the epitome of the master singer”.

The evening also saw Simone Young named Conductor of the Year, recognising her remarkable year, not just at La Scala, Vienna and Berlin State Operas and in Sydney, but for becoming the first Australian to conduct at Bayreuth. Much-loved American soprano Lisette Oropesa took home Female Singer of the Year, while the hugely popular French tenorBenjamin Bernheim was named Male Singer.

Komische Oper Berlin won Opera Company of the Year for the second time, having previously earned the accolade in 2015. The Award was presented by Vladimir Jurowski.

Among other winners was Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in the New Production category for its double bill of Gluck’s two Iphgénie operas co-produced by Opéra National de Paris and Greek National Opera, directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm and featuring soprano Corinne Winters in the title role. Christof Loy, behind acclaimed productions this season in Milan, Amsterdam, Madrid, Zurich and London was named best Director, having won the award in 2017, while Designer went to Rufus Didwiszus who impressed the jury with his recent work with Wiener Staastoper, Opéra national de Paris and Komische Oper Berlin.

In addition to artistic and creative talent, the Awards aim to celebrate the crucial role of opera's leaders. This year's Good Governance Award for Leadership in Opera was awarded to Christina Scheppelmann for her remarkable 30 years of achievement and inspiring, dedicated service to the art form. After an already distinguished international career, in January 2025 she begins a new chapter as Intendant of La Monnaie De Munt in Brussels.

The Philanthropy Award was presented to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for its longstanding support of the Greek National Opera to expand its outreach efforts, including the recent two-year grant reaching total support of €39 million by 2026, as well as for the creation of its new home at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC).

The International Opera Awards recognise organisations striving to implement innovative, forward-thinking environmental policies. From an impressive shortlist, Finnish National Operawas awarded the Sustainability Award for its proactive efforts, guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

There was more success for Finland when Savonlinna Opera Festival – the esteemed month-long festival staged in the grounds of a stunningly-situated medieval castle – was named best Festival, a category sponsored by River Global.

Serge Dorny, General Director of Bayerische Staatsoper, who welcomed guests at the outset of the ceremony said: “The Opera Awards are not only among the most important accolades in the performing arts. Beyond the wonderful artists, the art form of opera itself is also a winner: Art is more important than ever in times of crisis and makes a crucial contribution to dialogue and mutual understanding.”

The shortlist of nominees, based on more than 16,000 nominations submitted by opera lovers around the world, was compiled by an international jury of performers, opera critics and administrators from 20 countries and chaired by John Allison, Editor-in-Chief, Opera with Opera News and classical music critic of The Daily Telegraph. The winners of all categories, except the Readers’ Award, were decided by the jury.  

John Allison, chair of the Jury, said: “We’ve just celebrated some of the strongest winners in the International Opera Awards’ now more than decade-long history, and they – also not forgetting all those on the impressive shortlists – are proof that the operatic world is in vibrant shape, despite very clear challenges. It’s been an honour to help shine a light on such exceptional artistry, and I’m grateful to our distinguished jury. In our fractured world, opera has a unique power to reflect on our lives and tell our stories, and I think we have certainly confirmed that again here.”

 

 

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