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.
With his appointment, Peter de Caluwe follows in the footsteps of Gerard Mortier, General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie from 1981 to 1991, who went on to serve as Artistic Director of the Salzburg Festival until 2001. In Salzburg, Mortier established a renewed vision for the festival, placing contemporary creation and new forms of stagecraft in dialogue with the classical repertoire.
De Caluwe’s appointment thus opens a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between La Monnaie and Salzburg. That connection 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.
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.
Next year, the non-profit association 'Mortier Awards' will present the Mortier Next Generation Award, for the fifth time. This prize, worth € 30,000, supports artistic projects of young artists in keeping with the spirit of Gerard Mortier, former La Monnaie director and great innovator of the art form opera.
