LA MONNAIE CROWNED BEST OPERA HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2024
From now on, and for one year, la Monnaie may call itself the best opera house of 2024, the OPER! AWARDS jury announced today in Berlin. The prestigious award will be officially presented on 21 February 2025 during a real award show at the winning house, la Monnaie. The laureates of the other 19 categories of the OPER! AWARDS will be announced during that festive evening.
‘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
La Monnaie Opera House ©Simon Van Rompay
La Monnaie Opera House ©Simon Van Rompay
the international opera world and absolutely worthy of an award. We are therefore more than delighted to honour the la Monnaie on 21 February 2025 with the OPER! AWARD of ‘Best Opera House’.’
Peter de Caluwe, general and artistic director of la Monnaie: ‘This award for ‘Best Opera House of the Year’ is 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 prize. The prize is awarded annually at an awards gala 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.
