Ava Dodd has won the Verbier Festival Academy’s Prix Yves Paternot in recognition of being the most accomplished and promising musician of the annual Academy for young professional musicians.

Dodd is a member of the Stadttheater Klagenfurt ensemble where she has sung the roles of Waldvögel in “Siegfried,” Oscar in “Un Ballo in Maschera,” and the soprano solos in “Carmina Burana.”

She was a dual prizewinner in the final of the Hans Gabor Belvedere International Singing Competition in 2022 and completed her bachelor’s degree at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, where she studied with Mary Brennan. She went on to complete a master’s degree at the Royal College of Music in London with Janis Kelly.

Yves Paternot was an emblematic figure of the Verbier Festival and was the founder of the Friends of the Verbier Festival and member of the Foundation’s Board. In tribute to his commitment, the Prix Yves Paternot recognizes the Academy’s most accomplished musician. The recipient is awarded CHF 10,000, an invitation to return to Verbier in a future year to perform in the Festival, and is eligible for a contribution of up to CHF 15,000 to support his or her artistic and professional development.