YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. On May 15, 2016 at The Savoy Theatre, London, the winners of the International Opera Awards were announced in a ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny, reports the official website of the International Opera Awards.

The Opera Awards are unofficially known as the “Oscars” of Opera.

Opera stars and supporters gathered for an evening celebrating excellence in opera, as well as raising funds for the Opera Awards Foundation – a trust which aims to help those at the start of their opera careers. 

Hasmik Grigorian from the Mariinsky Theater of Lithuania was announced the winner in the “Young Female Singer” category.

Live performances on the night came from Readers’ Award winner Ermonela Jaho, Male Singer winnerGregory Kunde and winner of the CD Operatic Recital award Ann Hallenberg, all accompanied byRoger Vignoles on a piano kindly provided by Markson Pianos. Also performing was past winner Anna Bonitatibus singing Garcia’s "Già il perfido discese … Al mio pregar t’arrendi" from Semiramis. Kate Howden (mezzo soprano) and William Morgan (tenor), both 2016 National Opera Studio Young Artists, performed ‘Un soave non so che’ from Rossini’s La Cenerentola, accompanied by Ben-San Lau. 

The International Opera Awards, in association with Opera Magazine is sponsored by The Nexus Group.

The Winners:

Accessibility

The Opera Platform

CD Complete Opera

Les Martyrs (Opera Rara)

CD Operatic Recital

Ann Hallenberg: Agrippina (DHM)

Chorus

English National Opera

Conductor 

Gianandrea Noseda

Designer

Vicki Mortimer

Director

Laurent Pelly

DVD

The Tsar's Bride (Bel Air)

Female Singer

Mariella Devia

Festival

Glyndebourne

Lifetime Achievement

Brigitte Fassbaender

Male Singer

Gregory Kunde

New Production

Peter Grimes (Theater an der Wien)

Opera Company

Dutch National Opera

Philanthropists

Bill & Judy Bollinger

Christine Collins  

Rediscovered Work

Le Roi Carotte (Opéra de Lyon)

World Premiere 

Cold Mountain (Santa Fe Opera)

Young Conductor

Giacomo Sagripanti

Young Director

Fabio Ceresa

Young Female Singer

Hasmik Grigorian

Young Male Singer

Stanislas de Barbeyrac

Readers’ Award Winner

Ermonela Jaho