Renowned Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho has recently achieved remarkable success in Europe, winning two significant awards that highlight her outstanding contributions to opera.
In Germany, Jaho was honored with the “Best Singer for 2024” at the prestigious “Oper! Awards 2024.” This award recognizes her exceptional performance in the opera world, particularly for her role in Puccini’s “La Rondine,” which she performed with unmatched emotional depth and vocal excellence in Zurich in 2023.
Adding to her accolades, Jaho also received the title of “Best International Singer” at the Premios Ópera XXI in Spain for the 2022-23 season. This award was given for her exceptional performance in “Il Trittico” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, further cementing her status as a leading figure in the world of opera.
“Stepping on stage is always thrilling, but above all, I want to thank the Opera Awards jury for this recognition, my audience, my manager, my colleagues, everyone, because I believe our art, our music, our opera wouldn’t survive without our soul as artists, which reflects in your soul as the audience” said Jaho.
During her speech, Jaho recalled the first time she saw an opera at the National Theatre of Opera in Tirana, which sparked her love for opera. She later performed for the audience of the National Opera of the Netherlands in Amsterdam, where the awards ceremony was held. These awards are also referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of Germany.
“I am very moved because looking back, I remember that the first time I saw an opera I was 14 years old in Albania and immediately fell in love with it. It was magical, wondrous, and also made me feel a bit melancholic. I promised myself that night that I would become an opera singer and would not leave this world without singing on stage at least once in my life. Looking back at this moment, while receiving this award, is so emotional. The journey has been long, beautiful, filled with challenges, but above all, magical! It continues to be so today. Thank you very much! Opera will live with us, because it is the language of our soul. For me, this journey has transformed into a spiritual journey” added the soprano.
The “Opera Awards” are presented in 20 categories by a jury consisting of journalists and musicians.
