Graz, Ring Award 2025

Everything new at the tenth major opera competition

The new Ring Award Board of Directors: Michael Schilhan, Jossi Wieler, Georg Schulz, Andrea Vilter, Wolfgang Hülbig and Ulrich Lenz (from left)(Bild: shooted)

The Graz Ring Award, one of the most prestigious international opera competitions, is entering its tenth round. A new Leading Team is continuing Heinz Weyringer's life's work and is now looking for the world's best stage direction team.

What do Tatjana Gürbaca, Vera Nemirova, Valentin Schwarz and Tobias Kratzer have in common? They are not only well-known opera directors, but were all finalists in the Graz Ring Award at the beginning of their careers. This alone should illustrate the international significance of the music theater competition for direction, stage design and costume, which was first held in 1997 by the then Wagner Forum director Heinz Weyringer.

But the jury has also been impressive over the years. The heads of all the major theaters from Brussels to Montpellier to Berlin have already decided the fate of the candidates here. And have also paved the way for them to their houses. This year, Stefan Herheim, Tatjana Gürbaca, Elisabeth Sobotka and Valérie Chevalier are among those taking part.

New team at the helm
A lot has changed this year. Due to the coronavirus crisis, the survival of the competition was not assured. It is only thanks to the tireless efforts of Heinz Weyringer, who has stepped down as artistic director after almost 30 years, and the commitment of the directors of Bühnen Graz, Andrea Vilter (drama), Ulrich Lenz (opera), Michael Schilhan (Next Liberty), Wolfgang Hülbig (art + event) and KUG Rector Georg Schulz, that this international institution can live on. And, of course, to politics in the form of Governor Christopher Drexler, whose cultural department provides the necessary funding. The new artistic director is the well-known opera director Jossi Wieler; Heinz Weyringer was appointed Honorary President.

Honorary President Heinz Weyringer(Bild: susanne hassler)

Monteverdi's work "L'Orfeo", which is regarded as the birth of opera, has been appropriately chosen for the new competition. The young stage direction and set design teams (maximum age: 35 years) have until September 16 to submit their concepts. The candidates for the semi-final in January will be announced in October. The final is then scheduled for June 2025.

Newly created prizes
Several prizes are also new: In addition to the prestigious main prize, which includes a production commission at Graz Opera, and the audience prize, there is now also a sustainability prize, donated by art + event, a dramaturgy prize, donated by the Schauspielhaus and Opera, and a special prize from Honorary President and Ring Award founder Heinz Weyringer.

All information about the Ring Award 25 can be found here.