On a landmark evening for Greece, the Greek National Opera (GNO) hosted the 2025 International Opera Awards for the first time. The ceremony, streamed live through OperaVision, brought the international opera world together under one roof.
With more than 14,000 nominations submitted from 25 countries, the event highlighted the diversity and momentum shaping today’s operatic scene. BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny guided the night, ensuring a spirited pace and a celebratory atmosphere.
Showcasing Greece’s creative legacy
The program paid tribute to Greek music and storytelling. GNO’s orchestra, chorus, ballet, and children’s chorus performed works by major Greek composers, including Spyros Samaras, Pavlos Carrer, Theofrastos Sakellaridis, Nikos Skalkottas, Mikis Theodorakis, and Giorgos Koumendakis.
Soloists Dimitris Platanias, Vassiliki Karagianni, Yannis Christopoulos, and Maria Kosovitsa added depth and emotion to the evening’s performances.
Moreover, GNO Ballet Director Konstantinos Rigos and Katerina Petsatodi joined forces to create a unified artistic vision. Their staging blended movement, music, and visual design, giving the ceremony a distinctive Greek character.
Soprano Marina Rebeka and bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee, two of the evening’s top honorees, also delivered standout performances. Rebeka earned the Readers’ Award, while Brownlee received Male Singer of the Year.
The great mezzo Agnes Baltsa winning Lifetime Achievement last night at the International Opera Awards @TheOperaAwards, hosted by Greek @NationalOpera in Athens. pic.twitter.com/Jr47JCL0CG
— Opera with Opera News (@operamagazine) November 14, 2025
Celebrating icons, innovators, and new voices
The night reached its emotional peak when Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. GNO Artistic Director Giorgos Koumendakis presented the honor, prompting a long and heartfelt ovation. Baltsa, who has performed for more than five decades on stages such as the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Vienna State Opera, remains one of Greece’s most influential performers.
In addition, the awards recognized major institutions across the opera ecosystem. MusikTheater an der Wien won Opera Company of the Year, and Alain Altinoglu earned Conductor of the Year. The Dallas Opera’s Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors received the Equal Opportunities and Impact Award, celebrating a decade of pushing for greater gender representation in music leadership.
Rising stars Adèle Charvet and Hugh Cutting also earned recognition, marking them as key voices to watch in the years ahead.
Global highlights from an exceptional season
The ceremony honored outstanding productions from around the world. The Royal Opera House won Best World Premiere for Festen, while the Janáček Brno Festival was named Festival of the Year. Furthermore, The Excursions of Mr. Brouček, directed by Robert Carsen and produced by National Theatre Brno, Staatsoper Berlin, and Teatro Real Madrid, received the New Production Award.
Teatro Real Madrid also stood out by winning the Sustainability Award. The company recently installed the world’s first walkable solar-panel roof on a historic opera house, signaling a serious commitment to environmentally responsible innovation.
Recordings earned recognition as well: Lully’s Atys received the Complete Opera Recording Award, and Ann Hallenberg’s Gluck Arias with The Mozartists captured Solo Recital Recording of the Year.
We are proud to announce the winner of the Female Singer of the Year Award:⁰Asmik Grigorian.#OperaAwards2025 #FemaleSingerOfTheYear #AsmikGrigorian #OperaExcellence pic.twitter.com/dGPcb4OSsm
— The Opera Awards (@TheOperaAwards) November 13, 2025
Greece at the center of opera’s global future
As the evening drew to a close, Jury Chair John Allison reflected on Greece’s symbolic role in opera’s evolution. Since Greek mythology helped inspire the earliest operatic stories, hosting the awards in Athens underscored the art form’s enduring connection to the country.
To honor that heritage, each winner received a handcrafted marble statuette inspired by Early Cycladic art and created in collaboration with the Museum of Cycladic Art.
Supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the 2025 International Opera Awards reaffirmed Athens as a global cultural hub—one where tradition, creativity, and international excellence meet.
