French critics award three MA artists

Three MA artists have won awards in the 59th Syndicate of France's Professional Association of Theatre, Music and Dance Critics. Ersan Mondtag was given the Award for Best European Co-production for directing Weill's Der Silbersee, and Grégoire Pont and James Bonas's production of Abrahamsen's The Snow Queen won the Prize for Best Scenic Elements/Scenography. The ceremony was held at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin in Paris.

Mondtag's production of Der Silbersee had its premiere at Opera Vlaanderen in September 2021. The jury praised 'the rediscovery of a work by Kurt Weill that is just as exuberant and inventive as the direction by Ersan Mondtag, who at the age of 34 can be counted as one of the most important names in the new era of the German scene'. The production will next be seen in Opéra national de Lorraine, Nancy, in 2024.

Pont and Bonas staged the French premiere of The Snow Queen at Opéra national du Rhin in September 2021. They discussed their collaboration on the production in an interview for Maestro Arts. Bonas explained their process: 'Collaborations work best when the different partners offer something specific. You all offer your points of view and skill sets and the result is something that no one could produce alone – that is the alchemy.'