Armel Opera Festival is a unique operatic event that has presented opera rarities and, in particular, contemporary works since 2008. The international jury of the Armel Opera Competition assesses the singers’ vocal qualities their acting skills. The singers selected in two rounds of the competition are offered the main roles in one of the festival productions, and in the final stage of the challenge, they can prove their talent in this particular Armel Opera Festival presentation to win the Award for Best Performer. All Armel Opera Festival shows are broadcast live on the French-German Arte Concert channel annually, the recorded performances can be accessed by opera-loving audiences on the channel’s website for another six months.
In 2019, the French Minister of Culture awarded Agnes Havas, Director of the Armel Opera Festival, the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (insignia of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters). Agnes Havas accepted the prestigious award from Pascale Andreani, France’s Ambassador to Hungary, which was given for her creation of the festival, which, in cooperation with ARTE TV, the European cultural channel, uniquely combines the promotion of contemporary opera and promotion of young musical talent in Hungary and abroad.
In addition to opera productions, Armel Opera Festival also produces publications and organises stage performances and concerts in Hungary and, since 2003, in the Palace of Versailles, the Opera d’Avignon, in Plzen (under the European Cultural Capital programme), the most prestigious Swiss concert halls, the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Cadogan Hall, the Hackney Empire Theatre in London, at Jersey Opera House and MuTh Theatre in Wien. Armel Opera Festival Orchestra has accompanied the companies of the Moscow Ballet and the St Petersburg Ballet on their tours since 2013.
Armel Opera Festival is proud to support young talents and to be involved in the professional support of young managers of international music festivals. In collaboration with Opera Europa, in 2012 Armel co-created the international Opera Management Course. In collaboration with the European Festivals Association (EFA) in 2016 the Armel Opera Festival hosted the International Festival Academy as a co-organiser, which received young festival managers and prestigious lecturers from five continents. Armel Opera Festival launched its opera-writing competition in November 2012. The winner was awarded a prize of 6,000 euros and the composition was presented at Armel Opera Festival 2014.
One of the 22 most outstanding European festivals Armel was invited to participate in the round table discussions on festivals’ role and future in Europe.
In 2015 and 2017 Armel Opera Festival was given the EFFE label, the European Festivals Association’s mark of recognition for Europe’s most remarkable arts festivals.
