Two Ukrainian opera houses were awarded this year's "Opera Oscar" for offering up mellifluous cadenzas and virtuosic trills amid power cuts and artillery blasts on their country's territory — allowing audiences to evade, if only for a few hours, the war outside.
In recognition of their "outstanding work in challenging circumstances", the opera theatres in the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Odesa jointly clinched the Company of the Year prize at the International Opera Awards ceremony held on Monday in Madrid's Teatro Real.
"We came from cities where streets are dark, but our souls are full of light ... Our music now is buzzing with generators everywhere, but this is the music of our survival, of our life," said Oksana Taranenko, stage director at the Odesa National Opera, as representatives of the two companies accepted the accolade to a standing ovation.
Both theatres resumed staging productions after they were forced to suspend performances when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. The jury celebrated their "courage and resilience for continuing to perform despite the dangers and depredations unleashed by the war".
Monday's event, hosted by BBC presenter Petroc Trelawny, marked the first time the ceremony had been held outside of London and its return to live performances after pandemic disruptions.
Spectators at the 19th-century Teatro Real, whose company won the top award last year, were serenaded by its in-house orchestra and chorus, as well as some of the world's top singers.
In a nod to the host city, Mozart, Verdi and Puccini were accompanied by pieces from opera's Spanish cousin, Zarzuela, a musical theatre genre born in Madrid that combines elements from popular music and traditional dance.
Samoan tenor Pene Pati bagged the Opera Magazine Readers' award, the only one decided by popular vote instead of a jury.
Italy's Daniele Rustioni earned the Conductor prize and British cantatrice Nardus Williams was crowned Rising Star. Soprano Sabine Devieilhe and baritone Stephane Degout, both French, won Female Singer and Male Singer, respectively.
The awards were founded by British philanthropist Harry Hyman in 2012 to raise money for a charity that provides bursaries to aspiring operatic talent.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the latest images from Ukraine
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The years Ramadan fell in May
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on animal trafficking
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202.0L%20TSI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20clutch%207-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320HP%20%2F%20235kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20400Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20%2449%2C709%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Points Classification after Stage 1
1. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20
2. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17
3. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus / Team Sky) 15
4. Tony Martin (Germany / Katusha) 13
5. Matteo Trentin (Italy / Quick-Step) 11
6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 10
7. Jos van Emden (Netherlands / LottoNL) 9
8. Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland / Team Sky) 8
9. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 7
10. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data) 6
The five pillars of Islam
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
