Opera Europa has announced the recipients of the first-ever Eva Kleinitz Scholarships.

This year’s recipients include sopranos Hasmik Harutyunyan, Lynda Olivia Nwabudike, and Ava Dodd, as well as sopranist Alexander Orellana, and baritone Lluis Calvet.

The scholarship, which aims to support the career development of young singers currently enrolled in full-time education, was created in honor of Eva Kleinitz, who was the Director of the Opéra National du Rhin and a former president of Opera Europa; Kleinitz passed away in 2019.

Born in Langenhagen, Kleinitz would start her career with an internship at the Staatsoper Hannover. Thereafter, she became assistant director at the opera house in Bregenz before eventually becoming debuty director of the Bregenzer Festpiele. Her career would take her to major positions at La Monnaie and the Staatsoper Stuttgart before she becoming the first woman to chair Opera Europa.