(Credit: © Gianluca Fontana)

Eleonora Buratto will receive the Marcella Pobbe International Opera Award on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza.

The prestigious accolade is dedicated to the memory of one of the great voices of the twentieth century.

Buratto will join the award’s roll of honor, which over its 20-year history has recognized leading opera stars such as Daniela Dessì and Mariella Devia.

During the awards ceremony, Buratto will perform in concert with the Orchestra Sinfonica del Veneto conducted by Elia Andrea Corazza.

In a statement the soprano said, “I am honored to receive the Marcella Pobbe International Opera Award, dedicated to the great soprano from Vicenza who was a role model with her interpretation of an exceptionally wide-ranging repertoire including, alongside her Verdi and Puccini roles, successful incursions into operas by Respighi, Zandonai, Petrella, the great Russians, and by Weber and Wagner! Marcella Pobbe was able to count on admirable historical recordings by Cetra and of live performances to leave us the precious legacy of her voice and, more in general, of post-war opera singing. I admire her eclectic talent, the captivating elegance of her bearing, and her cultural background which led her to become a music critic and author too. She was a classic Venetian and a great Italian artist. The Marcella Pobbe Award, marking its twentieth edition this year, will also give me the opportunity to perform for the first time at the Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, a national monument and Unesco world heritage site.”

The evening will be hosted by Federica Morello, President of the Associazione Pobbe, with artistic direction and a special appearance by the tenor Cristian Ricci.