OPER! AWARD for the Staatskapelle Berlin
A major honour for the Staatsoper Unter den Linden: yesterday evening, the Staatskapelle Berlin was honoured in the category ‘Best Orchestra’ at the OPER! AWARDS at the Regensburg Theatre.
General Music Director Christian Thielemann, Orchestra and Artistic Director Michael Csar, and two representatives of the orchestra's board, Isa von Wedemeyer and Noémi Makkos, accepted the award for the Staatskapelle Berlin in person.
The award particularly recognises the initial results of the artistic collaboration between the orchestra and its General Music Director Christian Thielemann. Productions featuring works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss have been met with great acclaim internationally — such as the highly acclaimed premiere of Richard Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau in July 2025 and the opening of the 2025/26 season with Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.
"This award means a great deal to us. The Staatskapelle Berlin is an orchestra with a unique tradition, artistic depth and extraordinary musical personality.
The fact that our joint work has received such recognition so early on is a special gift and, at the same time, an incentive. I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by the musicians and look forward to everything we will develop together – at the State Opera, in concert and on our international tours,” said General Music Director Christian Thielemann.
Statement by the Orchestra Board of the Staatskapelle Berlin:
“On behalf of the Staatskapelle Berlin, we would like to express our sincere thanks for this award.
We accept this prize with great gratitude and pride. It honours a collaboration that has only just begun and therefore means a great deal to us.
Christian Thielemann and we are united by a new artistic beginning. Richard Strauss's Die schweigsame Frau was the first major premiere under his baton, and we are delighted that our joint achievement has attracted such attention. At the same time, this moment represents continuity for our orchestra. After more than thirty years of close collaboration with Daniel Barenboim, who had a decisive influence on the Staatskapelle, we are now embarking on a new chapter. We see it as a special sign that this award has come to us at precisely this stage. For us, it is confirmation that we should continue on this shared path with curiosity, dedication and a sense of responsibility, both in opera and in concert. Our anticipation of everything that lies ahead at our home in Berlin and on our upcoming tours has only grown as a result.
Our special thanks go to our audience, our artistic director Elisabeth Sobotka, our sponsors and partners, and the entire team on and behind the stage. We see this honour as a mandate to continue making music to the highest standards, to reach people all over the world through music and to keep culture alive.”
The OPER! AWARDS are Germany's only publicly presented international opera prize. Every year, outstanding artists and institutions from the world of opera are honoured in a total of 20 categories at a gala ceremony. The winners are selected by a jury of international specialist journalists; the evaluation period covers the 2025 season.
Die schweigsame Frau
9, 12, 21, 25 and 29 May 2026 | Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Click here to go to the event page.
An introduction to the work will take place 45 minutes before the start of each performance in the Apollosaal.
The Staatsoper would like to thank the friends and supporters of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and its main partners BMW and the Hilti Foundation for their support.