Pinchgut Opera took home the award for Best Rediscovered Work at the 2019 International Opera Awards held last night in London. The award was for Pinchgut Opera’s production of  Hasse’s Artaserse, performed in Sydney last December.  Pinchgut Opera is the first Australian company ever to win an International Opera Award, considered the Oscars of the Opera world.

Artistic Director Erin Helyard said, “We at Pinchgut are enormously proud to announce that this evening we received the award for Best Rediscovered Work at the 2019 International Opera Awards at Sadler’s Wells for our 2018 production of Hasse’s Artaserse.

“Vivica Genaux and I performed at the awards ceremony and we were thrilled to have in the audience many supportive Australian artists, Brett Dean and Helen Sherman among them.

“The category of Best Rediscovered Opera had 8 nominees so we were among some extraordinary company. Pinchgut has made it its mission for the last 17 years to bring neglected masterworks to life, so to be honoured this way on the international stage is an exceptional achievement. My love and congratulations to all who made this production a success!”