The Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI announced that Pope Leo XIV has approved the granting of the Ratzinger Prize 2025 to the Italian director Riccardo Muti, a reference figure in classical music and one of the most influential orchestra conductors of the last decades.
It is one of the most prestigious cultural recognitions in the ecclesiastical sphere, awarded to personalities whose work reflects a significant contribution to thought, art, and culture inspired by the Christian faith.
The prize will be awarded during a Christmas concert in the Vatican
The ceremony will take place on December 12, during a Christmas concert that Muti himself will conduct in the Paul VI Hall. The event will be attended by the Holy Father, which underscores the relevance of this edition of the prize and the appreciation that the Vatican shows for the Italian maestro's trajectory.
Riccardo Muti, born in 1941 in Naples, began his musical training as a pianist and choir director before establishing himself as one of the great names in symphonic and operatic conducting. His career has led him to the helm of such emblematic institutions as the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, forging a legacy recognized worldwide for his interpretive fidelity, technical discipline, and profound reading of the scores.
Music as a point of encounter between Benedict XVI and Muti
The Ratzinger Foundation highlighted the close relationship of mutual admiration and respect that existed between Benedict XVI and Maestro Muti. The Pope Emeritus, known for his artistic sensitivity and understanding of classical music, considered the Italian conductor an interpreter capable of elevating the spirit and opening paths toward beauty and truth.
Muti always reciprocated this recognition with affection and closeness. Even after Benedict XVI's resignation in 2012 and his retirement to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, he maintained gestures of esteem toward whom he considered a spiritual and cultural reference.
Muti's reaction: gratitude and remembrance of Benedict XVI
Upon learning the news, the Italian maestro expressed his deep emotion:
“I have always followed and deeply admired Pope Benedict XVI, whose thoughts, reflections, and meditations have been and will be nourishment for men and women of good will”
His words underscore that this recognition not only awards an exceptional artistic career but also a spiritual affinity cultivated over years between the conductor and the Pope Emeritus.
A prize in service of Christian culture
Created in 2011, the Ratzinger Prize annually distinguishes figures who have contributed notably to theology, philosophy, biblical sciences, law, and the arts. From its beginnings, it has sought to value the intellectual work and spiritual legacy of Benedict XVI, promoting a culture that harmonizes reason, faith, and beauty.
The choice of Riccardo Muti for the 2025 edition responds, according to the Foundation, to his extraordinary artistic contribution and the spiritual dimension he has known how to imprint on his life and work, aspects that make him a worthy recipient of this recognition.