Prestigious award nomination for Scottish Opera

Scottish Opera’s production of Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande is in the running for a prestigious cultural award.

They haves been nominated for The South Bank Sky Arts Award for Opera, to the delight of the company.

Sir David McVicar made a welcome return to Scottish Opera to direct Claude Debussy’s iconic opera for the first time in his career.

He was joined by Rae Smith and Paule Constable, the design team behind the hit show War Horse, creating a production inspired by the paintings of Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi that brought to life this enigmatic tale of love, honour, jealousy and loss.

Pelléas and Mélisande delighted critics and audiences alike in February 2017, as part of the Company’s 2016/17 Season. The production went on to win the UK Theatre Award 2017 for Achievement in Opera, and was also shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award.

Scottish Opera’s music director, Stuart Stratford, conducted The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and an outstanding cast including soprano Carolyn Sampson (The Rake’s Progress 2012) as Mélisande, Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize winner Andrei Bondarenko as Pelléas, Roland Wood (Il trovatore 2015) as Golaud, Alastair Miles as Arkel, Anne Mason (Il trovatore 2015) as Geneviève, and Jonathan May as the Doctor.

Carolyn Sampson and Andrei Bondarenko in Pelléas and Mélisande (Photo: Richard Campbell)

Alex Reedijk, Scottish Opera general director, said: ‘We are delighted that Pélleas and Mélisande has been nominated for The South Bank Sky Arts Award for Opera.

‘Having previously won the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Opera and been shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award, I am extremely proud of Scottish Opera and everyone involved in making this fantastic production including the wonderful cast and the superb playing by The Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

‘Sir David McVicar’s superb creative energies and Stuart Stratford’s musical insight came together to create a production that spoke to audiences and critics alike.’

Also shortlisted alongside Pelléas and Mélisande are Glyndebourne’s Hamlet and The Grange Festival’s Albert Herring.

The South Bank Sky Arts Awards is the only awards ceremony in the world to celebrate every area of the arts, with awards for Literature, Dance, TV Drama, Film, Classical Music, Comedy, Pop, Opera, Visual Art and Theatre. Presented by Lord Melvin Bragg and now in its 22nd year, the awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 1 July at the Savoy Hotel in London, and will be televised on Sky Arts the following week.