Months after its premiere on the stage of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, the work Bartleby by Belgian composer Benoît Mernier has been selected for the 2026 International Opera Awards in the 'World Premiere' category.
This production marked the return of lyrical creation to the Liège Opera after nearly thirty years. Commissioned from composer Benoît Mernier, the work is inspired by Herman Melville's Bartleby, the Scrivener, with a libretto by Sylvain Fort.
For this world premiere, musical direction was handled by Karen Kamensek and staging by Vincent Boussard. Edward Nelson embodied the enigmatic Bartleby, surrounded by Patrizia Ciofi, Damien Pass, Santiago Bürgi, Bruno Resende, and Gustave Harmegnies.
Very favorably received by critics upon its premiere, Bartleby continues its journey with this nomination for the prestigious International Opera Awards.
Established in 2012, the International Opera Awards annually celebrate the artists, productions, and institutions that bring opera to life worldwide. The results will be unveiled on November 21 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, during a ceremony broadcast live on OperaVision.
Congratulations to Benoît Mernier and all the artists and teams who brought Bartleby to the stage.
