Opera Philadelphia is a 2016 International Opera Awards finalist

In February, we took a look at Opera Philadelphia’s Cold Mountain, the Philly premiere of the opera based on Charles Frazier’s 1997 best-selling Civil War novel (currently our city’s One Book, One Philadelphia pick). Now, Philly’s own opera company has nabbed a place among six opera companies worldwide as finalist in the Best Opera Company category of the 2016 International Opera Awards. Opera Philadelphia is the only US-based company to make this shortlist.

The International Opera Awards jury is chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera magazine and classical music critic of the Daily Telegraph. Jury members include industry leaders from around the world, including scholars, writers, and directors from China, Spain, the UK, Denmark, the US, and Australia.

The original Santa Fe production of Cold Mountain, which brought many of its cast members to its East Coast premiere in Philly (which ran February 5-14), is nominated in the Best World Premiere category. And in the coming season, Opera Philadelphia ticket-buyers can hear two more 2016 nominees: Christine Goerke, nominated for Best Female Singer, will sing Turandot this September, and Best Young Male Singer nominee Michele Angelini will perform in 2017’s Tancredi.

The winners will be announced in a London ceremony on May 15.