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Alongside the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, the nominees are Atlanta Opera, English National Opera, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Opéra de Lyon and Teatro Real, Madrid, placing Croatia’s national theatre among some of today’s most dynamic opera institutions.

The International Opera Awards were founded in 2012 by British philanthropist Harry Hyman with the aim of recognising and celebrating outstanding artistic and institutional achievements in opera, while supporting new generations of opera artists through the Opera Awards Foundation.

The Awards encompass the full spectrum of the operatic art form – from opera companies, singers, conductors, directors and designers to new productions, festivals, recordings, world premieres and sustainability.

This year’s list of finalists includes artists and institutions from 24 countries. The finalists were selected by an international jury comprising distinguished opera critics, artists and industry professionals, chaired by John Allison, Editor of Opera Magazine with Opera News.

Dr Iva Hraste Sočo, General Manager and Artistic Director of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, said: “This nomination is a major recognition for the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, our Opera and all the artists and staff whose work contributes to this institution every day. To stand alongside leading opera houses from Madrid, London, Hamburg, Lyon and Atlanta confirms the artistic direction we have chosen, as well as our commitment to opening the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb more strongly to international collaborations, co-productions and exchange. I am particularly pleased that the international professional community has recognised the continuity and collective work of the entire Theatre over recent seasons. This is not recognition of a single production or project, but of the institution as a whole. I am also proud of my team, with whom, over the past four seasons, I have succeeded in transforming the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb into a strong, open and internationally recognised institution, while continuously developing our audiences, achieving almost 100 per cent auditorium occupancy and establishing an increasingly prominent presence on the European and global cultural scene.”

Željka Barišić Pulig, Artistic Director of Opera at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, added: “This is an exceptionally important moment for our Opera. The nomination confirms the strength of our artists and our Opera Department, as well as the quality of the programme we have been building over recent seasons through new productions, major works from the operatic repertoire and increasingly intensive international collaboration. We are particularly proud that the Opera of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is now recognised beyond Croatia as a company with its own artistic identity, ambition and place on the international opera scene, to which the Zagreb Opera Festival undoubtedly also contributes.”

The winners of the 2026 International Opera Awards will be announced on 21 November at MusikTheater an der Wien in Vienna, at a ceremony hosted by the BBC’s Petroc Trelawny. The ceremony will be available to audiences worldwide via a live stream on the OperaVision platform.

The nomination comes at a time of significant international development for the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, marked by numerous co-productions, guest performances and partnerships with European and international theatres, as well as the development of the Zagreb Opera Festival as an international platform bringing together opera companies and artists.

For the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, this nomination represents significant recognition of its work to date, while providing further impetus to strengthen its position on both the European and global cultural scene.