During a literary encounter with J. M. Coetzee on the stage of La Monnaie, Christina Scheppelmann announced that the 2003 Nobel Prize winner in Literature is writing a libretto for a new La Monnaie opera, to be premiered in the 2027–2028 season: Elizabeth Costello in limbo.
On October 13th, the VUB awarded J. M. Coetzee an honorary doctorate during a ceremony held at La Monnaie. During the event, General and Artistic Director Christina Scheppelmann had the pleasure to announce that the distinguished author is currently writing the libretto for a new opera, centred on one of his most iconic characters, Elisabeth Costello. This creation, with music by Belgian composer Nicholas Lens, will premiere on the stage of La Monnaie in the 2027-28 season.
According to Christina Scheppelmann, ‘this is a very exciting commission. Presenting a new opera is always a beautiful challenge and we look forward to working on this project with the creators. Nicholas Lens already appeared at La Monnaie in 2014 with Shell Shock – based on a libretto by Nick Cave. Elizabeth Costello in limbo will be staged by the excellent Barbora Horáková Joly and feature Allison Cook in the title role.’
Get out the napkins because La Monnaie is participating in The Biggest Spaghetti Fest in the World! On Saturday, November 22, we are offering 100 vegetarian meals, accompanied by a guided tour of our Workshops, in support of non-profit organisation Groot Eiland.
As part of the worldwide Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the façade of La Monnaie was lit up in pink on Sunday, 19 October. Through this symbolic gesture, our house aims to highlight what is still insufficiently known about the disease.
Christina Scheppelmann, who became the first female General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie this season, has been nominated for the ELLE Woman of the Year 2025 award.
