Georgian mezzo-soprano Ketevan Kemoklidze has been awarded the 2018 Voice of Female Protagonist Prize from the Teatre Principal de Palma in Palma De Mallorca, Spain.
The opera singer received the distinction following her performance as Adalgisa in Norma at the venue last June.
In three bills of the Vincenzo Bellini opera, Kemoklidze appeared in a production by Lorenzo Amato, with the shows conducted by Andrés Salado Egea.
????So happy to share with you this great news: I won the prize of “The best female protagonists voice 2018” of amazing @teatreprincipal after having sang there Adalgisa in Bellini’s “Norma”. Thank you Mallorca and see you at my recital on 24th of November at Palau De Congressos???? pic.twitter.com/CYjAcJw7pU
— Ketevan Kemoklidze (@Kemoklidze) September 11, 2018
She was selected for the award by the audience of the Mallorca theatre, with the mezzo-soprano expressing her gratitude “for love and support you gave me during the performances and now with this pleasant surprise” on her social media.
Born in Tbilisi, Kemoklidze graduated from the city’s State Conservatoire before being awarded the Special Prize of Teatro alla Scala at the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition.
Kemoklidze (centre) received the award from the Teatre Principal de Palma following her performance in ‘Norma’ at the venue earlier this year. Photo: Roberto Alcain.
The distinction allowed her to join the famed Milan theatre without prior exams, while the list of prestigious venues where she has appeared has since grown to include the Royal Opera House, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.
Based in Spain, Kemoklidze has been praised as a “marvellous all-round performer” by Japan Times and for her “more than remarkable Adalgisa” in the Bellini work.