(Photo Credit: Isabel Machado Rios)

Soprano Susanne Serfling is set to receive the 2026 Gelsenkirchen Theater Prize on Oct. 17, 2026.

The prize, established by the Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen Foundation, will be awarded to Serfling at the Musiktheater im Revier’s Kleines Haus.

Serfling has been a permanent ensemble member at MiR Gelsenkirchen since the 2025-26 season and previously appeared as a guest artist in 2023 in the title role of Strauss’s “Salome.” Most recently she also sang Senta in Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer.”

Next up, Serfling will perform the role of Marie in the company’s upcoming premiere of “Wozzeck” on Sept. 27, 2026.

“With her extraordinary voice and intense dramatic presence, Susanne Serfling touched not only the audience, she was also able to convince the jury,” said Michael Klotz, Chairman of the Board of Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen, per an official press release.

This marks the 27th presentation of the prize, and the first time it has been staged as a standalone event dedicated solely to the recipient.