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The winners of the 45th Abbiati Award, the prestigious recognition awarded by Italian music critics, have been announced.

Best Show: "Der junge Lord" produced by Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Best Conductor: Alexander Soddy

The commission of the 45th edition of the Franco Abbiati Music Critics Award“, decreeing the winners.

The jury It was made up of the board of directors of the National Association of Music Critics – president Andrea Estero, Alessandro Cammarano, Carlo Fiore, Gianluigi Mattietti, Carla Moreni, Roberta Pedrotti, Alessandro Rigolli – and seven critics elected by the members of the ANCM (Attilio Cantore, Sandro Cappelletto, Susanna Franchi, Giancarlo Landini, Gregorio Moppi, Lorenzo Tozzi, Gaia Varon).

Taking into account the reports received from other members, the jury – choosing among productions, concerts and initiatives held in Italian theatres and concert halls during 2025 – has selected the following winners:

Show
The Young Lordby Hans Werner Henze
(conductor Markus Stenz, director Daniele Menghini; Florence, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino)

Director
Alexander Soddy
(Siegfried is Die Walkure, (La Scala Theatre, Milan; Salome and Macbeth, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theatre)

Direction
Cecilia Ligorio
(Mithridates Eupator, Massimo Theatre of Palermo; The Shepherd King, (Rome Opera House)

Scenes
Gary McCann
(Hamlet, Teatro Regio of Turin; Danae's Love, (Carlo Felice Theatre in Genoa)

Costumes
Giada Masi
(Hamlet, (Regio Theater of Turin)

News for Italy
Alex Paxton
Spit Crystal Yeast-rack, dripping
(Padua, Sound Box)

Soloist
Alexandre Kantorow

Ensemble
Of the Labyrinth

Singers
Vida Miknevičiūtė (Die Walkure, (National Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome)

Luca Salsi (Macbeth, (May Musicale Fiorentino Theater; Rigoletto, La Fenice Theater in Venice, and more)

Piero Farulli Award
Kobalt Trio
(Irenè Fiorito violin; Lorenzo Guida cello; Riccardo Ronda piano)

Musical initiative
First Italian performance of Owen Wingraveby Benjamin Britten
(Itria Valley Festival of Martina Franca)

Special award
Three one-act plays by Gino Negri
(Spoleto, Experimental Theatre)

“Filippo Siebaneck” Award
Opera White (Social Theatre of Como)

The reasons for the awards and details of the awards ceremony will be announced soon.

The 45th edition of the Abbiati Prize is dedicated to the memory of Angelo Foletto, a master of Italian music criticism who recently passed away, who presided over the National Association of Music Critics for almost thirty years.