Italian conductor Riccardo Muti will be honored with the 2025 Ratzinger Prize during a Christmas concert at the Vatican, according to reporting from Catholic News Agency (CNA). The award will be presented by Pope Leo XIV and the Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation on Dec. 12 in the Paul VI Audience Hall, where Muti will also conduct the evening’s performance.
The foundation announced that the prize, established in 2011, recognizes individuals who make outstanding contributions to art and culture inspired by the Christian tradition. CNA notes that previous laureates have included theologians, philosophers, jurists, biblical scholars, and artists from around the world.
Muti, one of the world’s most renowned conductors, enjoyed a long-standing relationship of mutual esteem with Pope Benedict XVI. CNA reports that Benedict—known for his deep love of classical music—admired the “expressive depth” with which Muti approached the musical repertoire and viewed his artistry as carrying “exceptional spiritual and cultural value.”
The conductor often expressed similar affection toward the late pope. Upon learning he would receive the award, Muti said, “I have always followed and deeply admired Pope Benedict XVI, whose thoughts, reflections, and meditations have been and will continue to be a source of [spiritual] nourishment for men and women of goodwill,” according to CNA.
This year’s concert program will feature the Mass for the Coronation of Charles X by Luigi Cherubini, performed by the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra and the Guidi Chigi Saracini Choir of the Cathedral of Siena.
Born in Naples in 1941, Muti began his musical career as a pianist and choirmaster before rising to international prominence. Over the decades he has led some of the world’s greatest orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the orchestra of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. As CNA highlights, his commitment to faithful interpretation of the classical canon has earned him global respect and numerous international awards.
The Vatican Foundation said the presentation of the Ratzinger Prize this year also serves as a tribute to the deep bond between Muti and Benedict XVI—one rooted in shared reverence for the spiritual power of music and its role in elevating the human spirit.
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