So wrote Gianfranco Spada, President of the Società Traetta. He continued:

“It is with great honour that, on behalf of the Traetta Society, I am pleased to announce that the 17th Traetta Prize 2025 has been awarded to the visionary Paul Atkin for his project to revive the Teatro San Cassiano, the world's first opera house...

Raise your glasses

Long live Traetta...”

 

 

The Press Release for the award reads:

The English musicologist and entrepreneur Paul Atkin has been named the winner of the 17th Traetta Prize 2025, "in recognition of his extraordinary passion and dedication in bringing to life a visionary project that unites history, culture, and music."

Paul Atkin is the founder and driving force behind the project to reconstruct the Teatro San Cassiano in Venice, the first public opera house in history, inaugurated in 1637 and later demolished. With a rigorously historical and philological approach, Atkin initiated an in-depth research project in 2015 to reconstruct the theater in its original form, relying on archival documents, architectural studies, and musicological research.

Since 2017, with the foundation of the Teatro San Cassiano Group, the project has gained the support of internationally renowned experts, including musicologists, conductors, and architects specializing in the reconstruction of historic theaters. Furthermore, it has received official support from the Municipality of Venice and the interest of major cultural and academic institutions, thus laying the foundation for the realization of a truly unique theater.

The reconstruction of the Teatro San Cassiano holds special significance for the Traetta Society, as Tommaso Traetta himself premiered two of his operas on that very stage: La Francese a Malghera in 1764 and Semiramide in 1765, the latter celebrating its 260th anniversary this year.

This project is not only an architectural endeavour but a far-reaching cultural initiative aimed at reviving the sound, stagecraft, and experience of 18th-century opera following historically informed criteria. Through his tireless dedication, Atkin demonstrates a deep conviction in the value of music as a shared heritage, capable of uniting past and future.

---

In reply, Paul Atkin said:

“This award means everything to me personally, but it is of course an award for our whole team and their dedicated efforts in making the restoration of the Teatro San Cassiano to Venice the reality it is today. A huge heartfelt thank you to President Gianfranco Spada and to the Traetta Society.

“Tommaso Traetta (Bitonto, 30 marzo 1727 – Venice, 6 aprile 1779) is precisely the type of forgotten Italian composer that the Teatro San Cassiano seeks to return to the public consciousness today and to whom we can literally give a stage to celebrate both his wonderful compositions as well as to recover this vast wealth of great lost Italian intangible heritage. We salute the wonderful and tireless work and vision of the Traetta Society and its President Gianfranco Spada and hope that together we can celebrate the birth of the Italian opera house and therein of Italian opera.”

---

For more information:

Premio Traetta: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premio_Traetta  

Traetta Week: http://www.traetta.com