Canary Islands’ ‘Yerma’ Production Wins Top Honors at Talía Awards
The Auditorio de Tenerife’s production of Yerma won Best Lyric Show and Best Costume Design at the Talía Awards, highlighting the Canary Islands' growing influence on the international opera stage.
The recent Talía Awards at Madrid’s Teatros del Canal have cemented the Canary Islands’ reputation as a major player on the international opera stage. The production of Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Yerma—based on the play by Federico García Lorca—won awards for Best Lyric Show and Best Costume Design, proving the enduring power of Lorca’s work in modern opera.
Sharing the spotlight with major productions like Les Misérables and the work of flamenco star Rocío Molina, this win is a significant boost for the Auditorio de Tenerife. José Carlos Acha, the Cabildo’s Minister of Culture, accepted the awards and credited the production’s success to a complex network of international partnerships, including collaborations with the Amazonas Opera Festival in Brazil and the Teatro de la Zarzuela. The recognition arrives just in time to set the stage for next year’s centenary celebrations of the Generation of '27.
Costume designer Ana Garay attributed the win to the opera’s poignant exploration of social pressure and female identity. She also praised director Paco Azorín, whose visual storytelling—defined by his symbolic use of water and arid landscapes—was central to the production’s impact.
The production, which premiered on the island in 2025, was a massive multidisciplinary effort. It featured musical director Luiz Fernando Malheiro, playwright Carlos Martos de la Vega, and lighting designer Pedro Yagüe, alongside a stellar vocal cast including Berna Perles, María Miró, Alejandro Roy, Javier Castañeda, Anna Gomà, and María José Montiel. By honoring this work, the Spanish Academy of Performing Arts has highlighted how regional cultural institutions can lead large-scale projects that reach far beyond their borders to connect with the global operatic community.