The world’s largest classical music prize honours the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence for outstanding artistic acheievements, giving special recognition to the 2021 premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s opera “Innocence”.
The prestigious French Opera Festival, becomes the first festival to receive the Prize, to be presented on October 21 by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf at Konserthuset Stockholm. The musical celebration will be accompanied by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Swedish Opera Chorus under the direction of Susanna Mälkki. Tickets go on sale on May 22 and audiences around the world can watch live on Konserthuset Play.
Announcing the Prize, President of the Birgit Nilsson Stiftelsen Susanne Rydén, said: “The Board is proud to honour the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence with the 2025 Birgit Nilsson Prize for its outstanding artistic achievements and commitment to developing and commissioning new opera productions. With its forward-looking and multi-faceted programming the Festival has produced key milestones in contemporary masterpieces which have perpetuated the art form and added an important chapter to music history. Special recognition is given to the production of Kaija Saariaho’s opera Innocence, premiered at the Festival D’Aix-en-Provence in 2021.”
“Today is both a moment of celebration and deep sadness, as the world mourns the loss of Pierre Audi who died suddenly just a few weeks before today’s announcement. As General Director of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence since 2019, Pierre’s artistic passion and dedication was truly inspirational and he was looking forward to celebrating this special honour, of which he was so proud to acknowledge on behalf of all those he worked with at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.”
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE
Founded in 1948 in the magical setting of Aix-en-Provence — the ‘City of a Thousand Fountains’ — the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence quickly established itself as one of the leading events on the international opera scene. Historically associated with Mozart the Festival explores four centuries of music history, showcasing diverse genres and aesthetics: Baroque opera, Grand opera of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and contemporary creation.
Particularly in the the last two decades the Festival has emerged as a major hub for innovation, by exploring new approaches, revitalising the repertoire, and re-shaping the relationship between works, performance venues and the audiences who come to discover new artistic horizons. Thanks to its international renown, the Festival has consistently collaborated with visionary conductors, cutting-edge stage directors, top-tier casts and orchestras, and the finest contemporary composers.
Always innovative and creative, it also produces lighter forms of musical theatre, designed to tour easily. Additionally, the Festival offers an ambitious concert programme, which combines symphonic repertoire, operas in concert form, prominent vocal performances, contemporary music, jazz, and Mediterranean music.
One of the many additional strands of the Festival is the Académie which over the last 25 years has established itself as an international centre for advanced artistic training and creation, serving as a unique professional springboard for early- and mid-career artists. The Festival also supports the development of the most talented young artists from the Mediterranean region, through its Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée (OJM), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024 and has been an integral part of the Festival for over a decade.
Link to the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence