Ana Oniani Receives the 2026 Prix Yves Paternot in Verbier
Georgian soprano Ana Oniani has been awarded the 2026 Prix Yves Paternot, worth 10,000 Swiss francs, as part of the Verbier Festival Academy.
The award is presented each year to the most promising talent at the Verbier Festival Academy. The announcement was made following Oniani's performance as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, presented by the Academy's Atelier Lyrique with the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, conducted by James Gaffigan.
Originally from the mountains of Georgia, Ana Oniani first studied orchestral conducting before turning her attention to singing. She is a graduate of the Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatory in Tbilisi. In 2025, she was accepted into the Academy of the Opéra national de Paris.
The Prix Yves Paternot was established in memory of Yves Paternot—founder of the Amis du Verbier Festival and a long-standing member of the festival’s board of trustees. In addition to the prize money, the award includes an invitation to perform at an upcoming edition of the Verbier Festival and also offers the winner the opportunity to receive up to 15,000 Swiss francs in additional support for their artistic and professional development.
