The French Ministry of Culture grants our Music Director this prestigious title for his outstanding artistic merits.
“This distinction means a lot to me. It honours all that I, the son of immigrants, have learned in and from France.” With these words of thanks, our Music Director Alain Altinoglu accepted his recent promotion to the rank of Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The French conductor, ‘Chevalier’ of the same order since 2014, received the title for his extraordinary merits in the field of music. He has led the La Monnaie Orchestra since 2016 and the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt since 2021. This year, he also acquired the artistic direction of the Festival International de Colmar.
Mezzo-soprano and MM Ambassador Nora Gubisch received the same award for her exceptional singing career.
From March 28 to 30, the tenth edition of the Passa Porta Festival will take place, dedicated entirely to the theme of ‘Ghosts’. This year, numerous events will also be held at La Monnaie, ranging from encounters with leading authors to literary tours.
Are you a Belgian culture lover and fan of the Queen Elizabeth Competition? For an audience survey, UGent students are curious to know your opinion about this prestigious competition.
This autumn, sail through the cultural heartland of Middle-Europe. From 6 to 23 November 2025, Rivages du Monde and La Monnaie invite you to a musical cruise on the Danube to mark the 10th anniversary of the MM Academy.
