The Foundation for the Promotion of the Hamburg State Opera has announced the recipients of its annual prizes.

The Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize was awarded to the seven current scholarship holders of the International Opera Studio Hamburg — Colin Aikins, William Desbiens, Aebh Kelly, Keith Klein, Marie Maidowski, Mziwamadoda Sipho Nodlayiya, and Mariana Poltorak — as well as to Hamburg Ballet soloists Olivia Betteridge and Charlotte Larzelere. The Eduard Söring Prize was awarded to Jan Polle, Deputy Principal Horn of the Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg.

Recipients were selected on the recommendation of Tobias Kratzer, General Director of the Staatsoper Hamburg; Lloyd Riggins, Interim Artistic Ballet Director of the Hamburg Ballet; and Omer Meir Wellber, General Music Director of the Staatsoper Hamburg and the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg.

The prizes were awarded on Feb. 14, 2026, during the Opera Dinner in the presence of Hamburg’s Senator for Culture and Media, Dr. Carsten Brosda.

“It is of great importance to the Opera Foundation to nurture exceptional talent, versatility, and the careers of young artists, and to motivate them toward extraordinary artistic achievement. The directors selected gifted artists who stood out for their special talent, dedication, work, and devotion to their art. We warmly congratulate our awardees and wish them every success on their journey,” said Ulrike Schmidt, Managing Director of the Foundation for the Promotion of the Hamburg State Opera, per an official press release.

The Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize commemorates the foundation’s first managing director, who was instrumental in rebuilding the Hamburg State Opera after World War II. The Eduard Söring Prize honors the foundation’s co-founder, who personally financed the prize for many years.

The prizes were awarded on Feb. 14, 2026, during the Opera Dinner in the presence of Hamburg’s Senator for Culture and Media, Dr. Carsten Brosda.

The Foundation for the Promotion of the Hamburg State Opera, established on December 6, 1960, at the initiative of Hamburg art patrons including Kurt A. Körber, alongside Opera Director Rolf Liebermann and the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, aims to support productions, guest artists, young artist training, and prize-giving at the Staatsoper Hamburg and Hamburg Ballet.

Read Related Stories