Winners of the 44th edition of the Franco Abbiati Music Critics’ Prize
Best Production: Ermione by the Rossini Opera Festival
Best Conductor: Emmanuel Tjeknavorian
Best Voices: soprano Mariangela Sicilia and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Molinari
The commission for the 44th edition of the Franco Abbiati Music Critics’ Prize met today, Wednesday 5 March, in Milan at the Amici del Loggione headquarters. The prize is named after Franco Abbiati, a well-respected Italian musicologist who wrote for the Corriere della Sera newspaper for almost 40 years, and died in 1981. The jury was chaired by Angelo Foletto and composed of the board of the National Association of Music Critics – Andrea Estero (president), Alessandro Cammarano, Carlo Fiore, Gianluigi Mattietti, Carla Moreni and Roberta Pedrotti – and seven critics elected by the members of the ANCM – Attilio Cantore, Luca Della Libera, Susanna Franchi, Cesare Galla, Giancarlo Landini, Gregorio Moppi, Alessandro Rigolli. They chose from productions, concerts and events that took place in Italian theatres and concert halls in 2024.
The motivations for the awards and details of the award ceremony will be announced shortly.
Below is the list of winners.
Production
Emione (conducted by Michele Mariotti, directed by Johannes Erath; Pesaro, Rossini Opera Festival)
Conductor
Emmanuel Tjeknavorian
Directors
Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier (Mefistofele, Venice, Gran Teatro La Fenice)
Sets
Dmitri Tcherniakov (Rusalka, Naples, Teatro di San Carlo)
Costumes
Eva-Maria Van Acker (Le grand macabre, Palermo, Teatro Massimo)
Italian newcomer
Samir Odeh-Tamimi (composer), Roaïkron (Venice, Biennale Musica)
Soloist
Ettore Pagano (cellist)
Ensemble
Jack Quartet
Singers
Mariangela Sicilia, Cecilia Molinari
Piero Farulli’ Prize
Rinaldo Trio
Special Prize
Manon Manon Manon (Turin, Teatro Regio)
Filippo Siebaneck Award
Social Opera Project (Jesi)
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
