The ceremony to award Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel the Order of the Arts and Letters of France took place after the premiere of the opera Tosca at the Bastille Opera House.

Awarded by the French Ministry of Culture to relevant figures in the field of Arts and Letters, the Order of Arts and Letters of France was first awarded on May 2, 1957.

Dudamel posted calls on his social media platforms for fans to attend the opera in the French capital. He also described the performance as a "wonderful programming," and expressed his excitement prior to the premiere.

"I was practicing my French before the performance of Tosca that opens tonight's season at the Paris Opera. It's going to be a wonderful program and I'm excited to share it with you," he tweeted.

From Sept. 3 to Nov. 24, the Paris Opera will present Tosca. The Venezuelan director will conduct the opera only for the month of September, after which Chilean director Paolo Bortolameolli will continue his work. 

The cast includes Spanish soprano Saioa Hernández, playing the role of Floria Tosca, and Maltese tenor Josehp Calleja in the role of Mario Caravadossi, both of whom will be present during Dudamel's stay at the opera.