La Monnaie crowned Best Opera House of the Year
OPER! Awards 2025
From today, and for one year, La Monnaie may call itself the world’s best opera house, according to the jury of the OPER! AWARDS. The prestigious prize will be officially presented during the award ceremony held in our Main Auditorium on 21 February 2025, when the laureates of the other 19 categories of the OPER! AWARDS will be named and honoured in person.
‘Under general and artistic director Peter de Caluwe, the Brussels opera house La Monnaie exudes a tremendous attraction and inviting openness that brings both artists and audiences together in the opera house for top creative performances,’ said Ulrich Ruhnke, jury president of the OPER! AWARDS. ‘The selection, level and aesthetics of the productions can more than once be called groundbreaking and also make opera accessible to younger generations. At the same time, the programme is embedded in the overarching mission of a contemporary opera house to reach out to society and send signals for sustainability and the promotion of a welcoming culture. For almost two decades and currently in his final season, Peter de Caluwe has led La Monnaie at a consistently high level and with undiminished creativity – an exception in the international opera world and absolutely worthy of an award. We are therefore more than delighted to honour La Monnaie on 21 February 2025 with the OPER! AWARD of ‘Best Opera House’.’
Peter de Caluwe, General and artistic director of La Monnaie, considers this award ‘as a wonderful crowning of the teamwork that goes on within our house at all levels to bring trendsetting excellence time and again. It is satisfying to note that La Monnaie, despite its modest budget within the international context, continues to consistently play in the top league. I am proud to lead this house through a sustained period of success. That this Award comes in my final season I also consider a personal recognition. I am extremely grateful to the prestigious professional jury of journalists, who all judge many performances in many countries, for honouring La Monnaie with this title.’
The OPER! AWARDS are Germany’s only publicly awarded international opera prizes. They are awarded annually at a gala event to the world's best performers and artists on and off stage. A jury of specialised journalists awards prizes in 20 categories. The assessment period for these awards is the year 2024.
