We are delighted to have won Outstanding achievement in Opera at the Critics’ Circle Awards 2023, for our production of Il trittico.
This new co-production with Welsh National Opera of Puccini’s Il tabarro (The Cloak), Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica) and Gianni Schicchi, opened at Theatre Royal Glasgow last March before touring to Festival Theatre Edinburgh. Directed by the world-renowned Sir David McVicar, it was the first time he had directed the epic triple bill and the first time we had staged it.
Conducted by our Music Director, Stuart Stratford, the cast included Karen Cargill, Roland Wood, Sunyoung Seo, Viktor Antipenko, Julian Close, Jamie MacDougall, Louise Winter, Máire Flavin, Sioned Gwen Davies and Elgan Llŷr Thomas.
Also in the cast was Francesca Chiejina, who was awarded the 2023 Young Talent (Voice) award by the Critics’ Circle.
The judges at the Awards said of Il trittico: ‘At a time when all major UK companies are facing severe financial challenges, Scottish Opera’s bold decision to present Puccini’s operatic triptych in its entirety – something not attempted north of the border since 1957 – resulted in outstanding success. Founded on Charles Edwards’ richly imaginative sets and graced by Hannah Clark’s excellent costumes, all lit by Ben Pickersgill, Sir David McVicar’s brilliantly intelligent naturalistic productions of all three operas brought consistent focus to the completely different dramatic schemes involved. The large casts had no weak links: several participants took roles in more than one opera with absolute conviction. Company Music Director Stuart Stratford once again showed his mettle in maintaining superb musical values throughout the three shows.’
The Critics’ Circle Awards are unique, decided by the country’s most experienced professional arts journalists and critics on the basis of hearing the widest range of performances across the UK and Ireland.
Congratulations to all the winners! Full details can be found here: https://criticscircle.org.uk/critics-circle-music-awards-2023/