International Opera Awards

Lead Donor of the GNO & Production donor

Showcasing a panorama of Greek art music and featuring the full range of its artistic forces, the Greek National Opera is set to host the International Opera Awards Ceremony at the Stavros Niarchos Hall in the SNFCC on Thursday, the 13th of November 2025 at 19.00. With nominees from 25 countries across five continents, this year’s International Opera Awards celebrate the international spirit of the art of opera, inviting us to applaud the award-winning creators, performers, creative teams, productions, and opera houses, as a recognition of the exceptional artistic work they produce. The event is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach.

Remarkable works by Spyridon Samaras, Paolo Carrer, Theofrastos Sakellaridis, Nikos Skalkottas,  Mikis Theodorakis and Giorgos Koumendakis will be featured in an anthology of Greek art music, which will be presented by the Greek National Opera during this grand international opera celebration that will take place on the 13th of November at the Stavros Niarchos Hall. The International Opera Awards Ceremony, an institution that has been rewarding exceptional operatic talent from all over the world for 13 years, honours the diverse and collaborative nature of this supreme art form. The event will feature distinguished and emerging soloists, Vassiliki Karayanni, Maria Kosovitsa, Dimitri Platanias, and Yannis Christopoulos, along with a polyphonic ensemble and the Orchestra, Chorus, members of the Ballet, and Children’s Chorus of the GNO. Conducting will be Konstantinos Terzakis.

Naturally, the International Opera Awards Ceremony has big surprises in store, to be revealed on the evening of the 13th of November. Leading opera artists of our time who are nominated for these prestigious awards will perform excerpts from famous operas, while a legendary figure from the opera world will be called on stage to receive a lifetime achievement award. The ceremony will also be honoured by the presence of representatives from the globe’s most important opera houses, among others.

The 21 award-winners of this year’s awards ceremony (artists, cultural organisations, foundations, productions, recordings, etc) will be selected by an esteemed international jury of opera critics, opera house administrators, and performers, chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera Magazine with Opera News, the Founding Media Partner of the Awards.

Along with the audience at the Stavros Niarchos Hall, the ceremony will also be broadcast to opera fans worldwide via live streaming on the OperaVision online platform (www.operavision.eu).

The Greek National Opera’s hosting of the International Opera Awards ceremony represents a natural continuation of its prolific activities, given that, since its relocation to the SNFCC in 2017 under the artistic direction of Giorgos Koumendakis and with support from the SNF, the GNO has evolved into one of the most inspired and creative opera houses in Europe, showcasing many new commissions, new productions, and international collaborations, along with a remarkable expansion of its repertoire.

Founded by philanthropist Harry Hyman in 2012, the International Opera Awards aim to highlight and elevate the profile of opera, as well as recognise and reward excellence. At the same time, this institution helps raise funds for the Opera Awards Foundation, which provides scholarships to talented emerging opera creators and performers worldwide. This year, for the first time, the International Opera Awards Ceremony will be hosted by the Greek National Opera in Athens, placing Greece at the centre of attention on the global opera stage.

Additionally, the Greek National Opera has taken on the task of designing this year’s awards, which are highly symbolic and inspired by Greece’s rich cultural heritage. This design is based on a striking Early Bronze Age artefact found in the Cyclades, depicting an elegant, violin-shaped figurine. Produced in collaboration with the Museum of Cycladic Art, where the original figurines are displayed, each replica will be crafted in marble and mounted with a customised plaque for the International Opera Awards.

The Artistic Director of the Greek National Opera, Giorgos Koumendakis, notes: “We are delighted that the Greek National Opera is going to host the International Opera Awards ceremony, for the very first time, in 2025 at the Stavros Niarchos Hall. Every year, this globally prestigious event singles out the most remarkable artistic achievements in the realm of opera and rewards younger and already distinguished opera artists along with opera houses worldwide. The award ceremony will take place on 13 November 2025, curated by the GNO and featuring the Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet of the GNO. I would like to express my gratitude to the Opera Awards Foundation and the Awards Committee for the honour of selecting the Greek National Opera for this role, as well as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for its support of this ambitious project.”

Harry Hyman, founder of the International Opera Awards, underscores: “We’re thrilled to bring the International Opera Awards to Athens for the first time, and to continue to celebrate the truly international art form of opera. Our thanks go to the Greek National Opera for hosting the 2025 ceremony, and I look forward to celebrating with them and the rest of the opera world in November.”