The winners of the 2023 International Opera Awards were announced in a ceremony held at Teatr Wielki, Warsaw, Poland, on 9 November. The prestigious awards are made in some nineteen categories each year to recognise the best individual artists, companies, institutions and events of the past opera season, and to raise funds for aspiring talents.

Sir Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House, was named Conductor of the Year for the second time after being the first-ever recipient of the award back in 2013. He is widely sought-after and will assume the role of chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra next year. Among his latest recordings on the Opus Arte label are Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (OA1356D) and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov (OA1376D).

The Male Singer award was claimed by tenor Michael Spyres, whose exceptional performances can be appreciated on numerous recordings. Notable examples include his leading roles in Opéra Comique’s productions of Adolphe Adam’s Le Postillon de Lonjumeau (2.110662) and Charles Gounod’s La Nonne sanglante (2.110632); also for his performance in Johann Simon Mayr’s Medea In Corinto (DYN-37735) presented at the Festival della Valle d’Itria.

The Readers’ Award was presented to American soprano Nadine Sierra. Her performance in Verdi’s La Traviata (DYN-37955) at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino was widely acclaimed: ‘American soprano Nadine Sierra dazzlingly demonstrates why lustrous singing, accomplished acting and winning charm make her one of this generation’s few triple-threat opera performers as Violetta.’ (The Flip Slide)

Among the finalists, the recording of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Christmas Eve (2.110738), a Frankfurt Opera production, received a nomination for Recording of the Year (Complete Opera).