The Atlanta Opera has been nominated for an International Opera Award in the Opera Company category, joining an exceptional group of opera organizations recognized for artistic achievement and impact over the past year. Atlanta is the only American opera company nominated in the category. 

“We are thrilled to be recognized by this prestigious awards program along with other companies from across the globe,” said Tomer Zvulun, Carl W. Knobloch Jr. General & Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera. “We have worked hard to build an opera company that reflects the ambition, energy, and international spirit of Atlanta. We are proud of how far we have come and delighted to see that work recognized by the international opera community.”

The Atlanta Opera learned of the International Opera Award nomination shortly after being nominated for 12 Suzi Bass Awards for Fiddler on the Roof, including Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Tomer Zvulun, and Outstanding Music Director for Or Matias. The Atlanta Opera, in a co-production with Alliance Theatre, staged 44 sold-out performances of Fiddler on the Roof. 

During the 2025-26 season, The Atlanta Opera performed Twilight of the Gods, completing its four-year effort to stage Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle while also announcing plans to stage two full cycles during the summer of 2029. The company furthered its reputation for innovation by staging a provocative new version of Giacomo Puccini’s final masterwork, Turandot, that dispensed with traditional endings in favor of one drawn solely from Puccini’s own music.

In February, the company broke ground on the $72 million Molly Blank Center for Opera and the Arts, which will be the company's new headquarters and performance space on the Atlanta Beltline when it opens in late 2027.  The Atlanta Opera joined the ranks of the top 10 opera companies in America in 2024, spurred by the growth of the company. Over the last decade, the company has doubled the number of its productions, launched a distinguished young artist program, created the acclaimed Atlanta Opera Film Studio, and the award-winning Discoveries series.

“The Board of Directors is grateful for Tomer’s leadership of The Atlanta Opera,” said John Haupert, chair of The Atlanta Opera’s Board of Directors. “During his tenure, he has transformed the company from a respected regional company into an organization with an international profile, recognized for both its artistic ambition and financial strength. This nomination is recognition of Tomer’s vision and leadership in building an opera company worthy of Atlanta.”

The Atlanta Opera has been nominated for an International Opera Award twice before. In 2016, the company was nominated in the Accessibility category for its efforts to develop new audiences through its Discoveries Series and other initiatives. In 2023, The Atlanta Opera was nominated in the Equal Opportunities & Impact category for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly through its 96-Hour Opera Project, an annual composition competition for emerging creative talents from underrepresented communities. In 2025, The Atlanta Opera was nominated in the new category of Musical Theatre for the production of Jonathan Larson’s Rent.

Founded by philanthropist Harry Hyman in 2012, the Awards are one of the most prestigious accolades in opera and honor exceptional operatic talent from across the globe. The Award categories cover the entire breadth of the art form, from singers, conductors, and opera companies to designers, directors, premieres, recordings, sustainability and more. This year’s shortlist includes nominees from 24 countries, once again demonstrating the truly international reach of the Awards. Proceeds from the award ceremony support the Opera Awards Foundation, which provides grants for emerging talent in opera worldwide.  

Five other companies were nominated in the Opera Company category, including Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, English National Opera, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Opéra de Lyon, and Teatro Real, Madrid.

The winners will be announced at the 2026 International Opera Awards ceremony on Saturday, November 21, taking place for the first time at MusikTheater an der Wien in Vienna. The ceremony will be hosted by Petroc Trelawny and livestreamed worldwide for free on OperaVision.