Provision on the National Opera Award

*The translation of the Provision is informational and is not an official document. The official text is available in Russian.

I. General provisions

 

1.1. The Onegin National Opera Award is a professional award and is awarded for creative achievements in the field of opera.

 

1.2. The Onegin National Opera Award (hereinafter referred to as the Award) was established in 2016 by the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "Center for Support of Cultural Initiatives "Kultura Ryadom" "(hereinafter referred to as ANPO CSCI "Kultura Ryadom") with the support of the St. Petersburg Committee for Culture.

 

1.3. Co-founder of the Award is Ljuba Glazkova (autonomous non-profit organization "Russian Opera Company").

 

1.4. Representatives of the founder and co-founder of the Award choose the President and Vice-President of the Award.

 

1.5. The Award does not have the status of a legal entity, it is awarded with the direct participation of government structures and public organizations at the Award Ceremony held annually in St. Petersburg.

 

1.6. The founders of the award assemble an Organizing Committee. The procedure for making joint decisions under this Provision is determined by the Organizing Committee as follows: a joint decision is considered adopted if all members of the Organizing Committee unanimously voted for it.

 

1.7. The Organizing Committee forms the Expert Council and the Jury of the Award.

 

1.8. The founders of the Award create the Award Directorate. The procedure for determining the Award Directorate, its functions, rights and obligations are regulated and approved by a joint decision of the Award`s Founders.

 

1.9. The Award Directorate interacts with the Expert Council and the Award Jury, enters into contracts with individuals and organizations, controls expenses and determines their goals.

 

1.10. The winners of each of the categories are decided upon by the Award`s Jury on a competitive basis and Expert Council recommendations based on the results of the past theatre season.

1.11. Goals and objectives of the Award:

 

* Preservation and development of the Russian opera traditions.

* Support and encouragement of creative activity within the professional community.

* Identification of talented performers and figures of the Russian opera.

* Study and unite the Russian opera community.

* Drawing attention to the problems of the professional community.

* Promotion of the achievements of the Russian opera art.

* Promotion and recognition of opera performers of different generations.

* Creating conditions for a regular creative exchange of Russian opera theater figures.

 

1.12. To determine the winners of the Award, an Expert Council and a Jury are established.

 

1.13. Based on the recommendations of the Expert Council and the decision of the Jury, prizes are awarded in the following competitive categories:

• Female Debut

• Male Debut

• Primadonna

• Master of the Stage

• Distinguished Guest

• Artistic Management

• Supporting Role

• Cultural Event or Project

1.14. Special, non-competitive, nominations are also established, the decision on which is made by the Award Directorate:

• Star

• Theatre

• Legend

• Soul of Opera

• Concertmaster

• Patron of the Arts

• From Russia with love

 

1.15. Changes in the number and name of the Award's competitive categories, as well as changes in the number and name of Special Awards, are the responsibility of the Award's founders and are decided on at a meeting of the founders based on the unanimous decision.

II. The principle of formation and functioning of the Expert Council of the Award

 

The Expert Council is formed by the Organizing Committee of the Award. When forming an Expert Council, the following principles are mandatory:

 

2.1. The Expert Council is formed from the following members:

• one representative from the Founders of the Award;

 • professional opera singers who regularly perform at the largest opera venues in Russia and the world;

• opera critics published in major federal or regional publications;

 • opera managers, conductors and directors representing opera houses and festivals, opera agents and producers.

 

Each year, the composition of the Expert Council is subject to rotation by at least 1/3.

 

2.2. The Expert Council of the Award includes representatives of theaters and theater organizations of St. Petersburg, Moscow and regional theatres of Russia.

 

2.3. No later than May 25, 2024, the Organizing Committee of the Award submits for consideration the founders of the Award:

• quantitative composition of the Expert Council;

• personal composition of the Expert Council;

• chairman of the Expert Council.

 

2.4. The Expert Council is entitled to make decisions if 2/3 of the list of members of the Expert Council take part in the voting.

 

Decisions are made by a simple majority vote of the members of the Expert Council present at the meeting by open or secret ballot.

 

The form of voting is determined by the Expert Council. At the same time, the members of the Expert Council – representatives of the theaters that are declared in the Award categories-are entitled to participate in the discussion of these nominees, but are not entitled to participate in the voting.

 

2.5. The Expert Council evaluates the nominees based on video recordings of opera performances. The Expert Council, in special cases, has the right to request the opinion of representatives of the professional community and the theater that the nominee represents.

 

2.6. In some cases, the Expert Council reserves the opportunity to attend performances with the participation of the nominees.

 

2.7. The final list of nominees is formed by the Expert Council at the final meeting no later than one and a half months before the date of the Award Ceremony and is submitted to the Organizing Committee.

 

2.8. Meetings of the Expert Council are recorded in minutes. The minutes and decisions of the Expert Council are signed by the Chairman of the Expert Council.

 

2.9. The Organizing Committee sends the final list of nominees to the Chairman and members of the Award Jury no later than one month before the date of the Award Ceremony.

III. The principle of formation and functioning of the Award Jury

 

3.1. The Award jury consists of professional opera singers who regularly perform at major opera venues in Russia and the world, opera critics who are published in major federal or regional publications, opera managers who represent opera houses, festivals, and are agents or producers. Each year, the Jury is subject to rotation by at least 1/2.

 

3.2. No later than September 30, 2024, the Organizing Committee of the Award submits for consideration the founders of the Award:

• quantitative composition of the Jury;

• personal composition of the Jury;

• The Chairman of the Jury.

 

3.3. The Jury consists of the Chairman of the Expert Council of the Award or a candidate delegated by him from the members of the Expert Council, as well as one representative from the Founders of the Award.

 

3.3. The Jury evaluates the applicants within one month before the date of the final meeting of the Jury.

 

3.4. The Jury is entitled to make a decision if 2/3 of the list of members of the Jury take part in the voting. Decisions are made by a simple majority vote of the Jury members present by secret ballot. At the same time, the members of the Jury-representatives of the theaters that are declared in the Award categories have the right to participate in the discussion of these nominees but do not have the right to participate in the voting.

 

3.5. The final list of winners is formed by the Jury at the final meeting on the eve of the Award Ceremony and submitted to the Organizing Committee of the Award.

 

3.6. The meeting of the Jury is formalized by the protocol. The protocols and decisions of the Jury are signed by the Chairman of the Award Jury.

IV. Nomination of candidates for awards in Competitive categories.

 

4.1. The competitive cycle of the Award for the selection of applicants in the competitive categories of 2024 is considered to be the period from September 1, 2023 to August 24, 2024.

 

4.2. The right to nominate nominees for awards in the competitive categories belongs to:

 

• The Founders of the Award;

• Directorates and artistic directors of Russian opera houses;

• Cultural management administration of the subjects of the Russian Federation;

• Russian musical and theatrical public organizations;

• Juries and organizing committees of international and All-Russian opera festivals;

• The organizers of the survey of theatrical figures of the regions based on the results of the theater season.

 

4.3. In order to nominate a candidate for the Award in any of the categories, the administration is entitled to nominate in accordance with clause 4.2. of this Provision shall submit the Awards to the Expert Council no earlier than May 25 and no later than August 24, 2024:

• an application for participation in the competition of an individual or a legal entity (depending on the category), filled out online in the form of a standard sample. The form is published on the main page of the official website of the Award: www.oneginaward.ru;

• full video recording of the performance with the participation of the nominee - a working link to this performance on the Internet.

 

4.4. The winners of the previous season`s Award (solo nominations) cannot participate in the competitive selection of the Award for three years, with the exception of the "Composition" category. After a three-year period, the winners are considered as applicants for the Award 

4.5. The deadline for accepting applications for participation in the competitive selection may be extended by the decision of the Founders and the Expert Council of the Award

V. The procedure and principles for evaluating applicants in the Competitive Award categories.

 

5.1. The Expert Council of the Award listens to the recordings and forms a list of nominees for the work of the Award jury. The list is provided to the Chairman of the Jury no later than one month before the date of the final meeting of the Jury.

 

5.2. The list of nominees in each category must consist of at least two and no more than four applicants for the Award.

 

5.3. The Award Jury makes its decision after preliminary discussion and by secret ballot on all the Contest Nominations on the eve of the National Opera Award Ceremony.

 

5.4. The Expert Council and the Award Jury evaluate the nominees in the Competition Category according to the following principles:

* Female Debut

This award is given to a nominee who has demonstrated outstanding talent in making her first steps on the domestic opera scene. Nominees are chosen based on their vocal and acting prowess.

* Male Debut

This award is given to a nominee who has demonstrated outstanding talent in making his first steps on the domestic opera scene. Nominees are selected based on their vocal and acting prowess.

* Primadonna

This award is given to a veteran female nominee for vocal and acting prowess, professionalism and loyal service to the Russian opera theatre.

* Master of the Stage

This award is given to a veteran male nominee for vocal and acting prowess, professionalism and loyal service to the Russian opera theatre.

* Distinguished Guest

This award is given to a nominee from Russia, or a representative of another country for their vocal and acting prowess, as well as for their contribution to the Russian opera theatre.

* Artistic Management

This award is given to a team of artistic directors supporting an ensemble of singers in the successful realization of their artistic tasks in a premiering play of the season. A winning team is selected based on the musical and acting performance of the ensemble.

* Supporting role

This award is given to a male or female nominee for outstanding vocal and acting prowess in the performance of a supporting role.

* Cultural Event or Project

This award is given for outstanding artistic direction and management of non-theatre projects, festivals, onetime opera events, and other unique projects. Teams selected for the Award are judged based on the novelty of the theatrical concept, for the discovery of new talent, for unearthing and reintroducing forgotten masterpieces, for broadening the geography of the opera genre, for innovation in opera, and professionalism in the realization of projects.

 

5.5. The Expert Council forms the lists for the Award jury based on majority voting.

 

5.6. The Jury selects the winners in the competitive Award categories from the list submitted by the Expert Council based on majority voting.

VI. Nomination of candidates for Special Awards.

 

6.1. The competition cycle of the Award for the selection of applicants for the 2023 Special Awards is considered to be the period from September 1, 2023 to August 24, 2024.

 

6.2. The right to nominate nominees for the 2024 Special Awards belongs to:

• The Founders of the Award;

• Directorates and artistic directors of Russian opera houses;

• Cultural management administration of the subjects of the Russian Federation;

• Russian musical and theatrical public organizations;

• Juries and organizing committees of international and All-Russian opera festivals;

• The organizers of the survey of theatrical figures of the regions based on the results of the theater season.

 

6.3. In order to nominate a candidate for Special Awards, the administration is entitled to nominate in accordance with clause 6.2. of these Provisions, no earlier than May 25 and no later than August 24, 2024, submit an application for participation filled out online in accordance with the established sample form. The form is published on the main page of the official website of the Award: https:\\www.oneginaward.ru.

VII. The procedure and principles for evaluating applicants for Special Awards.

 

7.1. The Organizing Committee of the Award draws up a list of candidates in the nominations no later than November 1, 2024.

 

7.2. The Award Management evaluates applicants for Special Awards according to the following principles:

• Star

This award is given to an internationally recognized Russian opera singer for outstanding achievements, vocal prowess and professional skills that contribute to upholding and strengthening the reputation of Russia and Russian operatic institutions as a source of world-class operatic culture and virtuosity.

 

• Theatre

 This award is given to a theatre which, in the past year, by means of their repertoire, management, and interaction with the public, has managed to realize the full creative potential of their opera troupe and has resulted in an increased interest among the viewing public, attendance at performances and overall popularization of opera in a given region or town. A winning theatre is selected based on an assessment of repertoire in correlation with talent and means of the theatre, public interaction and play attendance.

 

• Legend

This award is given to an outstanding male or female figure in Russian opera whose artistic path and professionalism has become a shining example of service to culture and art through the medium of opera.

 

• Soul of Opera

This award is given to a male or female theatre professional irrespective of position whose lifelong dedication to the theatre has played a demonstrable role in the development of a particular opera theatre or venue. Eligible nominees may include make-up artists, costume designers, ticket collectors, theatre managers or others whose sacrifice for the operatic art form has been felt by others.

 

• Concertmaster

This award is given to a concertmaster or performance coach whose work is inseparable from the success of singers, musicians and the theatre he or she serves.

 

• Patron of the Arts

This award is given to a person or organization whose consistent dedication and support of the opera have helped theatres, production teams and singers achieve success in producing new plays, projects and concerts.

 

• From Russia with love

This award is given to a non-Russian opera performer in gratitude for his or her contribution to the development of the opera on a global scale, whose bright talent and professional skills have earned the love and admiration of the Russian opera viewing public and the professional Russian opera community.

7.3. Special audience choice award Favorite is decided through an audience voting process. The award has two categories: Favorite Personality (individual artist) and Favorite Play (collective award). To vote, audiences can visit the official Onegin National Opera Award website, use a link that will take them to a page where they can see all the nominees and vote for their favorites. You can vote for any number of nominees but you cannot change your vote after submitting it. The voting will close on the day before the award ceremony. The winners will be decided by majority votes in each category. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony.

VIII. Award Presentation

 

8.1. The decisions of the Jury are announced and the Awards are presented at a special ceremony to be held in November 2024 in St. Petersburg.

 

8.2. Each nominee of the Award is awarded a Diploma of the Award.

 

8.3. The winners of the Award are presented with:

 

a Diploma of the Award and Prize in the form of a statuette of Eugene Onegin, characteristics: size - height 250mm (+/- 10 mm), width 60 mm (+/- 5 mm) material — bronze, yellow metal, covered with patina.

 

8.4. The prize of the Award, intended for a legal entity (theater, organization), is awarded to the representatives of this legal entity, then it becomes the property of this legal entity, which independently determines where the Prize will be located in the future.

 

8.5. The prize of the Award, which is awarded to the individual winner, becomes their property.

 

8.6. The Award assumes the costs of travel, accommodation and transfer in the city of St. Petersburg for the nominees selected by the Expert Council in competitive and non-competitive categories, as well as for the participants of the concert within the framework of the Award ceremony.

IX. Financing and logistics of the Award.

 

The sources of financial and logistical support for the Award events can be:

 

• financial resources of the federal budget, the budget of St. Petersburg and other material and technical resources of budgets of other levels and public (non-governmental) organizations;

• sponsorship and charitable contributions;

• revenue from the sale of tickets, printed and other products;

• other income.