(Credits: Michael Cooper / www.codalario.com)

Ópera XXI de España has announced that it will present its awards ceremony in a virtual event which will be held on October 25, 2020.

The ceremony was initially planned for March 2020, but had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Ópera XXI de España has been working on the new date and format of the event, which was supposed to take place at the Gran Teatre del Liceu at the end of September 2020.

However, due to continued concerns over COVID-19 in Spain, as well as auditorium limitations, Ópera XXI has completely redesigned the ceremony. The ceremonial event will be conducted by Daniel Bianco, director of the Teatro de la Zarzuela, and will showcase videos of support from all the winning artists. The ceremony will also feature performances by sopranos Sondra Radvanovsky and Leonor Bonilla.

The winners of the Second Edition of Ópera XXI de España awards are Sondra Radvanovsky for best singer; Leonor Bonilla for best young singer; Nicola Luisotti for best conductor; Christof Loy for best director; Teatro de la Zarzuela for the production of “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” in the best new production category; Gran Teatro de Lima for the production of Verdi’s opera “Alzira” as Best New Latin American production; and Òpera de Butxaca i Nova Creació as the Leading initiative to promote lyrical theatre.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast on the Opera XXI website, as well as through the portals of the 26 theaters and festivals that are part of the Asociación Opera XXI de España.