Waldemar Dabrowski, the general director of the Polish National Opera, was awarded the Aquila D’Oro (Golden Eagle) Prize for his input in the promotion of peace, freedom, and human dignity. The Italian prize has been awarded for twenty years now. Previous recipients include composer Ennio Morricone, Gianni Magazzeni (UN), Oscar-winning Gianni Quaranta, Mario Toso, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and the opera singer Raina Kabaivanska.
In 2022, together with Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Mr Dąbrowski founded the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, conceived by conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson. Made up of Ukrainian musicians who had been forced to flee their homeland due to the Russian aggression, Ukrainian members of European orchestras, and instrumentalists still based in the war-torn country, the ensemble has since performed across Europe and the United States. In the summer of 2025 the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra sets out on its fourth international concert tour. The tour begins on August 14 in Warsaw and concludes on August 29 in London. Find out more details here.
The awards ceremony was held on 31 May 2025 in Gniezno, the cradle of the Polish state. The location is not coincidental: the awards are traditionally presented to the winners in their country’s first capital city. Waldemar Dąbrowski is the first Pole to be awarded the prize. The other laureates will receive their statuettes in Geneva, Switzerland and Pliska, Bulgaria.
The Aquila D’Oro prize was established by the Associazione Corfinium Onlus, which publicises the historical importance of Corfinium, an ancient fortress where the idea of Italy was born and which remains the symbol of Italian unity.
