Josep Pons, Serena Sáenz, and Ermonela Jaho have been awarded for their performances in productions at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. In addition, the chamber opera Orgia and the community project La gata perduda have also been recognized.
Different prominent figures linked to the Gran Teatre del Liceu were recognized in the sixth edition of the Ópera XXI Awards, held at the Teatro de la Zarzuela (Madrid). These prestigious awards, which honor excellence in the world of opera in Spain, acknowledged both individual artists and productions involving the Liceu.
The award winners are as follows:
- Award for Musical Direction: Josep Pons, musical director of the Liceu, for his work in directing Wagner’s opera Parsifal, performed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in May 2023.
- Best Young Singer Award: Soprano Serena Sáenz was recognized for her outstanding performance as Lisa in Bellini’s La sonnambula at the Teatro Real in Madrid, as well as for her role as Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, performed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
- Best Foreign Artist Award: Soprano Ermonela Jaho was honored for her moving portrayal of Suor Angelica in Puccini’s Il Trittico, which took place at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in November 2022.
- Award for Best New Contemporary Lyric Creation: The chamber opera Orgia, composed by Hèctor Parra with a libretto by Calixto Bieito, was awarded after its successful premiere at the Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao in June 2023, in co-production with the Perelada Festival and the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
- Award for Best Initiative or Project for the Promotion of Opera: The opera La gata perduda, a community creation between the Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Raval neighborhood, was recognized for its capacity for social transformation through culture. This is the first production of the Liceu’s 'Opera Prima' program, which uses art to promote social inclusion.
Awards Jury
The jury for this edition consisted of distinguished critics and music journalists such as Fernando Sans Rivière, Pablo Meléndez, Javier Pérez Senz, Maricel Chavarría, Alejandro Martínez Rodríguez, Ana Vega Toscano, Mariela Rubio, César Coca, Richard Martet, Gonzalo Alonso, Justo Romero, Victoria Stapells, and Juan Antonio Muñoz (representing Opera Latin America, OLA).
The Ópera XXI Awards, supported by the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music of the Ministry of Culture, recognize lyric and creative talent in Spain as well as its promotion internationally.
