The Cape Town Opera is home to the finest opera chorus in the world – according to the prestigious World Opera Awards 2013 in London.

The chorus was cited for “its energy and exciting commitment, which never fails to communicate itself to an audience and shows again why a chorus can be the backbone of any company”.

Judged by an independent panel of industry experts, the awards attracted 1 500 top-notch nominations from 41 countries.
Cape Town Opera beat beat Helikon Opera from Moscow, the Netherlands Opera and Germany’s Bayreuth Festival chorus. “The Bayreuth Festival chorus is more than 100 strong and one of the very best in the world, and we beat them,” the opera’s marketing manager, Lesley Liddle said.

“Well done, chorus master Albert Horne and the singers of the Cape Town Opera Voice of the Nation chorus,” said Cape Town Opera managing director Michael Williams who was in London to receive the award. And kudos to all who have long nurtured local talent such as the indefatigable Angelo Gobbato.

Other prize-winners were Frankfurt Opera (Opera Company of the Year), The Metropolitan Opera Company (Orchestra of the Year), Jonas Kauffmann (Best Male Singer) and Nina Stemme (Best Female Singer).

The International Opera Awards 2013 winners

Accessibility: Metropolitan Opera, New York
CD Complete Opera: GF Handel’s Alessandro (Decca)
CD Operatic Recital: Christian Gerhaher (Sony)
Chorus: Cape Town Opera
Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Costume Designer: Buki Shiff
Director: Dmitri Tcherniakov
DVD: Il Trittico – Opus Arte
Female Singer: Nina Stemme
Festival Opera: Salzburg
Lifetime: Sir George Christie, Glyndebourne
Lighting Designer: Paule Constable
Male Singer: Jonas Kaufmann
New Production: Invisible City – Netherlands Opera
Newcomer: Daniele Rustioni
Opera Company: Frankfurt Opera
Orchestra: Metropolitan Opera, New York
Philanthropist: Sir Peter Moores
Readers’ Award: Jonas Kaufmann
Rediscovered Work: Les Arts Florissants for David et Jonathas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Set Designer: Antony McDonald
Young Singer: Sophie Bevan
World Premiere: Aix Festival for Written on Skin by George Benjamin