The former General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie will succeed Markus Hinterhäuser and take up his new position in Salzburg on 1 October, following the 2027 Festival edition.
This appointment places Peter de Caluwe at the helm of one of the world’s leading festivals for opera, theatre and classical music. Founded in 1920 by Max Reinhardt, Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss (the creative forces behind the opera Ariadne auf Naxos), the Salzburg Festival brings together leading artists from around the world each year, combining the classical repertoire with contemporary creation.
Peter de Caluwe follows in the footsteps of another La Monnaie Director, Gerard Mortier, who after his mandate in Brussels (1981 to 1991) went on to serve as Artistic Director of the Festspiele, establishing a renewed vision for the festival until 2001.
Peter de Caluwe’s nomination opens a new chapter in the relationship between La Monnaie and Salzburg, which was further strengthened last summer, when the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Alain Altinoglu made a guest appearance at the festival, performing Werther in concert to great acclaim.
As part of the worldwide Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the façade of La Monnaie will lit up in pink from 17 to 19 October. Through this symbolic gesture, our house aims to highlight what is still insufficiently known about the disease.
On 21 November, the International Opera Awards will recognise the artists, productions and most innovative projects that marked the international opera scene in 2026. La Monnaie has received two nominations: the first for the opera Medusa and the second for the Green Opera project.
This year, Mobility Week coincides with the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Brussels metro network. La Monnaie, which promotes sustainable mobility, has joined in the STIB’s celebrations by organising a pop-up fashion show at De Brouckère station on 15 September.
