On November 28, 2022, the 2022 International Opera Awards were presented at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain. Known as the “Oscars of Opera”, the awards aim to recognize and reward success, create scholarships for emerging talent and raise the profile of opera as an art form in its own right. This year’s jury, composed of opera professionals, was chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera magazine. From a Canadian standpoint, we can be very proud of set designer extraordinaire, Michael Levine, for winning in the SET DESIGN category. Levine’s work is seen in all of the top opera houses internationally; next up for him is Turandot (De Nationale Opera Dec 2-30, 2022), Peter Grimes (Paris Opera Jan 23-Feb 24, 2023), and Madama Butterfly (Lithuanian Opera Jan 26-31, 2023).
A full list of winners is listed below. In honour of Levine’s win, here’s a scene from his iconic Eugene Onegin set featuring Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury:
2022 International Opera Awards Winners
Conductor of the Year
Daniele Rustioni
*video of him talking about his work at Opera Lyon in 2022/23
Designer of the Year
Michael Levine🇨🇦
*video of Levine’s set design of The Magic Flute at Paris Opera (another collaboration with Canadian director Robert Carsen)
Digital Opera of the Year
Upload (Dutch National Opera)
Director of the Year
Stefan Herheim
*video: excerpts from Herheim’s Ring
Equal Opportunities & Impact of the Year
Foundation Studio (Cape Town Opera)
Female Singer of the Year
Sabine Devieilhe
Festival of the Year
Santa Fe Opera
Male Singer of the Year
Stéphane Degout
New Production of the Year
Glyndebourne: La Voix humaine/Les Mamelles de Tirésias (d. Laurent Pelly)
Readers’ Award of the Year
Pene Pati
Recording (Complete Opera) of the Year
Offenbach: Le Voyage dans la lune (Choeur et Orchestre National Montpellier Occitane/Bru Zane)
Recording (Solo Recital) of the Year
Michael Spyres: Baritenor (Erato)
Rediscovered Work of the Year
Dallapiccola: Ulisse (Oper Frankfurt)
Rising Talent of the Year
Nardus Williams
Sustainability of the Year
Gothenburg Opera
World Premiere of the Year
The Time of our Singing (Kris Defoort/La Monnaie De Munt)
Editor-in-Chief of Opera Canada since May 1, 2022. Before moving to the editorial side, she was a publicist for opera singers, classical instrumentalists and arts organizations for over a decade. She says of her work: “It’s a lifestyle, not a job”.
