London hosts first 'opera Oscars', but UK doesn't make top award shortlist

18:10, 7 April 2013

LONDON. April 7. KAZINFORM London is preparing to host the inaugural International Opera Awards - the "opera Oscars" - but there is no British company in contention for the most coveted award. It was not the "most dazzling year" for British opera, according to the chairman of the judges, John Allison, editor ofOpera magazine. "Overall, some of the best work was done somewhere else," he said,according to theguardian.co.uk

British opera companies, including the Royal Opera House (ROH), will watch from the wings on 22 April as the prize for the world's best company goes to one of five contenders: Oper Frankfurt, Opéra National de Lyon, the Staatsoper Stuttgart, the Stanislavsky Music Theatre in Moscow and Theater an der Wien. There are 21 other categories.

The panel of judges includes Peter Alward, former president of EMI Classics, who runs the Salzburg Easter festival . "Opera is a major art form and should be treated as such. The important thing is that so many categories are being recognised," he said.

While cinema, theatre and the visual arts boast many awards, international opera has had none. The awards, to be presented at the Hilton Park Lane, have been made possible by Harry Hyman, an opera-loving businessman, and the British magazine Opera, with nominations from international critics and the public. Commenting on the failure of the flagship ROH to be nominated for best company, Allison told theObserver: "The ROH did plenty of admirable work, but it didn't always stick its neck out artistically. It was playing it safe a lot of the time."

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