El abrecartas by Luis de Pablo (2022) and Extinción by Señor Serrano Group (2022). The company also premiered the first complete staging, with sets and scenography, of Isaac Albéniz's Merlin in 2003 –101 years after its completion–, the first modern revival of Vicente Martín y Soler's Il burbero di buon cuore in 2007 and Poppea e Nerone, a new orchestration for a modern chamber orchestra of Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, by Philippe Boesmans in 2012. Bicentenary The Teatro Real celebrated its bicentenary with a special programme from 2016 through 2018. One of the operas featured was Bellini's I puritani, a co-production with the Teatro Municipal of Santiago, Chile. A performance of this work was streamed in July 2016 via the Teatro Real's Facebook page, an example of the theatre extending its reach by digital services. The event was also relayed to a number of venues and was a national trending topic on Twitter. The same production has been performed by the company –including orchestra and chorus– in August 2017 at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Company Since 1998, the principal orchestra of the Teatro Real is the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid. The current artistic manager is Joan Matabosch, former director of Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. The current music director of the company is Ivor Bolton, since 2015. The current principal guest conductors are Pablo Heras-Casado and Nicola Luisotti. Bolton is scheduled to stand down as music director at the close of the 2024–25 season. In July 2022, the company announced the appointment of Gustavo Gimeno as its next music director, effective with the 2025–26 season, with an initial contract of five years. Artistic directors (partial list) Stéphane Lissner (1995–1997) Luis Antonio García Navarro (1997–2001, artistic and music director) Emilio Sagi (2001–2005) Antonio Moral (2005–2010) Gerard Mortier (2010–2013) (artistic advisor from 2014) Joan Matabosch (2014–present) Music directors (partial list) Luis Antonio García Navarro (1997–2001, artistic and music director) Jesús López Cobos (2003–2010) Ivor Bolton (2015–present) Special Events The Teatro Real has hosted some special events throughout its history. On 29 March 1969, Televisión Española held the at the theatre, featuring an onstage metal sculpture created by surrealist Spanish artist . On 13 February 2011, the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain held the 25th Goya Awards ceremony at the theatre. Every 22 December since 2012, Loterías y Apuestas del Estado holds its Lotería Nacional's Christmas special draw