2025 International Opera Awards - Greek National Opera to host prestigious event in Athens for the first time

The International Opera Awards and the Greek National Opera are thrilled to announce that, for the very first time, the globally prestigious event will be hosted in Athens at the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) on Thursday 13 November 2025. This has been made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the Greek National Opera’s artistic outreach.

The Awards honour exceptional operatic talent from across the globe, celebrating the diverse and collaborative nature of this cherished art form, and the annual event has become an important landmark on the international operatic calendar. Founded by philanthropist Harry Hyman in 2012, the Awards aim to raise the profile of opera as an art form, recognise and reward excellence, and help to generate funds for the Opera Awards Foundation, which provides bursaries for emerging operatic talent worldwide.

Following its relocation to the SNFCC in 2017 under the artistic direction of Giorgos Koumendakis and with support from the SNF, the Greek National Opera has evolved into one of the most inspired and creative opera houses in Europe, showcasing a significant number of new commissions, new productions, and international collaborations, along with a remarkable expansion of its repertoire. Thus, hosting the International Opera Awards ceremony is a natural continuation of its prolific activities.

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 event will be conducted under the artistic supervision of the GNO and featuring the GNO Orchestra. 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, said: “We’re thrilled to bring the International Opera Awards to Athens for the first time, and to continue to celebrate the truly international artform of opera. Our thanks 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.”

Nominations for the 2025 International Opera Awards open on 30 May 2025, and tickets for the event will go on sale in due course.

About the Opera Awards Foundation

The Opera Awards Foundation was founded in 2012 by Harry Hyman. To date, the Foundation has more than 150 bursary recipients to help aspiring talent to achieve their career potential. There are no restrictions on age or nationality, nor is support limited to singers: applications are encouraged from anyone working towards a career in opera who needs financial support to achieve their career goals.

http://www.operaawards.org/foundation/

About the Greek National Opera

Founded in 1939, the Greek National Opera is the sole opera house in Greece. Throughout its 85-year-long history, numerous celebrated Greek and foreign artists have made their mark on its historic productions. Maria Callas signed the first contract in her career with the Greek National Opera in 1940. From 1944 to 2017, the GNO was seated at the Olympia Theatre in the centre of Athens. In 2017, it was relocated to its new premises at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), which was envisioned and exclusively funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) on the design of Renzo Piano. The GNO presents opera and ballet performances at the Stavros Niarchos Hall in the SNFCC and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The GNO Alternative Stage features productions of music theatre, musicals, and baroque opera, along with concerts and festivals. Under the artistic direction of composer Giorgos Koumendakis, the GNO has focused on a global outreach strategy by expanding its repertoire, establishing international co-productions, inviting prominent artists from the fields of opera, dance, cinema, and visual arts, creating new ambitious productions, fostering artistic synergy, and developing multifaceted learning and participation activities.

https://www.nationalopera.gr/en

Lead Donor of the GNO: Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)