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Celebrating International Women's Day: the Women Behind the 2025 FEDORA Prize-Winning Projects
Winners, Industry News
Today, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we honour the resilience, achievements and boundless potential of women everywhere. At FEDORA, we pay tribute to the remarkable women who are change-makers on, behind and beyond the stage in the opera and dance world.
On this occasion, we celebrate the women driving the creation and production of the 2025 FEDORA Prize-winning projects, whose vision, creativity and leadership continue to shape the future of opera and dance across Europe.
Here are a few words from these inspiring artists and cultural leaders about their work, experiences and visions:
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Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Choreographer of Gentleman Jack
Winner of the FEDORA – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Dance Prize 2025
“I love the studio because that is the place where I can escape reality and create my own. However, in my ballets I try to translate the reality of women into something more visible, more true, exposing where we come from and illuminating the path we’re still carving to reach equality.”
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Maura O’Keeffe
Producer of The Curing Line
Winner of the FEDORA Opera Prize 2025
“Great art is collective and it’s important to invest in the women who build it: artists, producers, designers, technicians and teams who bring ideas to audiences. Today I am celebrating all the wonderful women who I am lucky enough to work with.”
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Rosada Letizia Zangri
Educational Coordinator, Program Manager and Creative Assistant of Yallah Danse!
Winner of the FEDORA Education Prize 2025
“Dance has the power to connect people beyond words. As a woman working at the intersection of arts, education and social impact, I believe in celebrating inclusion every day and creating spaces where diverse voices can meet, learn and grow together. Through my work, I strive to foster environments where dialogue, creativity and collective empowerment can truly emerge.”
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Wen Liu
Artistic Director, Composer, Libretto and XR Concept of YUM!
Winner of the FEDORA Digital Prize 2025
“Throughout my work experience, I have met many inspiring collaborators, but also faced difficult situations. These experiences led me to reflect on how many challenges in our field are questions of humanity, respect and professionalism, and how we treat one another as human beings.”
Through their vision, creativity and leadership, these women illuminate the world of opera and dance and inspire the next generation of artists and cultural leaders.
Projects supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, The Silver Company, the FEDORA Rolf Liebermann Fund and Kearney, in collaboration with Opera Europa, IMZ International Music + Media Centre and RESEO.
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