The 12th International Opera Awards – the opera world’s most prestigious accolade – lit up the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera (GNO) in Athens on Thursday evening in a landmark celebration of the global opera community.
Hosted for the first time by the GNO and presented by BBC Radio 3’s Petroc Trelawny, the event celebrated outstanding operatic achievement across five continents with finalists from 25 countries.
Highlighting the vibrancy and global reach of opera, the glittering event – supported by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach was a powerful celebration of Greek classical music, with remarkable works by Greek composers Spyridon Samaras, Paolo Carrer, Theofrastos Sakellaridis, Nikos Skalkottas, Mikis Theodorakis and Giorgos Koumendakis. Under the musical direction of Konstantinos Terzakis, the soloists of the GNO Dimitri Platanias, Vassiliki Karayanni, Yannis Christopoulos, Maria Kosovitsa accompanied by the Orchestra, Chorus, Ballet, and Children’s Chorus of the GNO delivered stirring performances.
The artistic supervision and direction of the ceremony was undertaken by the Ballet Director of the Greek National Opera, Konstantinos Rigos, in collaboration with the Director of stage of the Greek National Opera, Katerina Petsatodi. Excerpts from Puccini’s operas were also performed by star soloists Marina Rebeka and Nicholas Brownlee, winners of the Readers’ and Male Singer Awards respectively.
Harry Hyman, founder of the International Opera Awards, said: “ It is wonderful to celebrate the winners of the 2025 International Opera Awards with Greek National Opera in Athens for the first time, at the magnificent Stavros Niarchos Hall. Tonight, we celebrate the exceptional achievements of artists and companies from across the globe whose work exemplifies the creativity, excellence and collaborative spirit that define opera. Our warmest congratulations go to all of this year’s winners and nominees. Your contributions inspire audiences worldwide and ensure the continued vitality of this extraordinary art form.”
Giorgos Koumendakis, artistic director of the Greek National Opera, said: “ It is a great joy for all of us here at the Greek National Opera to welcome, for the first time in Greece, such a prestigious, world-class event. Every year, the International Opera Awards celebrate the most significant artistic achievements worldwide, performances that stand out, and pioneering opera houses. We are very fortunate to serve an art form that is vibrant, evolving, thought-provoking, and sparks discussion -an art that reigns supreme as the ultimate, refined essence of the human spirit. I hope that this evening will flood both traditional and social media with positive news that encourages risk-taking, innovation, knowledge, talent, and devotion. The world of opera produces remarkable works, and tonight we will celebrate this creativity and take it on a journey beyond Athens to the edge of the world.”
On her part, Greece’s Minister of Culture, Dr Lina Mendoni, presented one of the evening’s most prestigious honours, the 2025 Opera Company Award, to MusikTheater an der Wien.
Following a two-year closure and extensive renovation to one of Europe’s most historic houses, the company made a triumphant return in the 2024/25 season, presenting a bold and wide-ranging programme that spanned over four centuries of music theatre, from fully staged productions to concert operas and educational initiatives.
Dr Mendoni remarked: “ We are delighted and proud to host the International Opera Awards Ceremony at the Greek National Opera, a testament to the institution’s growing global stature. Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, and under the inspired artistic direction of internationally acclaimed composer Giorgos Koumendakis, the Greek National Opera now rightfully ranks among the world’s leading opera houses. Welcoming the International Opera Awards for the first time affirms its outward-looking strategy, highlights its contribution to modern Greek culture and firmly places it among the nations that serve the art of opera with expertise, creative imagination, and dedication. I want to extend my warmest congratulations to the artists and creators we honour tonight, and my heartfelt thanks to the dedicated staff of the Greek National Opera for their impeccable organization of this evening’s event.”
In one of the evening’s most emotional moments, legendary mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa received the Lifetime Achievement Award from GNO Artistic Director Giorgos Koumendakis to a cheering, standing ovation. With a career spanning over five decades, Baltsa’s powerful voice, dramatic intensity, and magnetic stage presence earned her global acclaim, especially for her iconic portrayal of Carmen, performed over 60 times at the Vienna State Opera.
Baltsa said: “ I thank the International Opera Awards for this honour. I am grateful for everything that life has given me.”
2025 INTERNATIONAL OPERA AWARDS – WINNERS
CONDUCTOR
Alain Altinoglu
DESIGNER
Paolo Fantin
DIRECTOR
Claus Guth
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES & IMPACT
Dallas Opera: Linda and Mitch Hart
Institute for Women Conductors
FEMALE SINGER
Asmik Grigorian
FESTIVAL
Janáček Brno Festival
LEADERSHIP
Anthony Freud
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Agnes Baltsa
MALE SINGER
Nicholas Brownlee
MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
(Glimmerglass Festival)
NEW PRODUCTION
The Excursions of Mr Brouček (National
Theatre Brno & Staatsoper Berlin/Teatro
Real/Robert Carsen)
OPERA COMPANY
MusikTheater an der Wien
PHILANTHROPY
C. Graham Berwind III
READERS’ AWARD – OPERA
MAGAZINE WITH OPERA NEWS
Marina Rebeka
RECORDING (COMPLETE OPERA)
Lully: Atys (Château de Versailles
Spectacles)
RECORDING (SOLO RECITAL)
Ann Hallenberg & The Mozartists: Gluck
Arias (Signum)
REDISCOVERED WORK
Galuppi: L’uomo femina (Opéra de Dijon)
RISING STAR
Adèle Charvet (mezzo-soprano)
Hugh Cutting (countertenor)
SUSTAINABILITY
Teatro Real Madrid
WORLD PREMIERE
Turnage/Hall: Festen (The Royal Opera)
