Pier Luigi Pizzi has been awarded the 2024 Premio Piero Cappuccilli.

The award was handed to the acclaimed director after the July 26 performance of “Tosca” which starred Erika Grimaldi in the title role.

The Fondazione Cappuccilli announced the news noting, “Yesterday night the fifth edition of the Piero Cappuccilli International Award was awarded to the great director Pierluigi Pizzi at the Torre del Lago, Festival Pucciniano.”

Meanwhile, Pizzi said, “After cheering before ‘Tosca’ at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, a surprise ending! Patricia went up on stage to hand me the Foundation award named after her father, the great baritone Piero Cappuccilli. Yay! You can never keep calm!”

Pizzi is the latest to receive the award following Ludovic Tézier, in 2023, Plácido Domingo in 2022, and Luca Salsi in 2021.

Piero Cappuccilli was a great Italian operatic baritone who was best known for his interpretations of Verdi roles. He performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Opera, Teatro alla Scala, and Paris Opera, among others.