(Credit: Pavel Vaan / Leonid Semenyuk)

The Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition has announced the Dmitri Hvorostovsky Prize and The Renata Scotto Prize.

Both are $5,000 awards honor the two iconic singers. The Dmitri Hvorostovsky Prize spotlights a baritone who “embodies exceptional artistry and vocal promise in the lyric baritone to Verdi baritone repertoire.” The Renata Scotto Prize “encourages young sopranos to continue the tradition of excellence and expressiveness that defined Scotto’s storied career” and is given to “the soprano who demonstrates exceptional artistry and vocal promise in repertoire that Renata Scotto performed on stage.”

Constantine Orbelian (New York City Opera), Elisa Wagner (International Creative Productions), Eric Margiore (Premiere Opera Foundation), Dr. Hayk Hovhannisyan, Esq, and Vicki Hovanessian (Cultural Advisor of the Embassy of Armenia to the USA) will sponsor The Dmitri Hvorostovsky Prize Prize.

The Renata Scotto Prize is sponsored by the soprano’s friend and agent, Robert Lombardo. In the announcement for the prize, Premiere Opera Foundation sent a “heartfelt thank you to Filippo Anselmi, Renata’s devoted son, for graciously giving his approval for us to tribute his mother in this special way.”