Performances of “Pedro eta Otsoa” opened the ABAO TXIKI 2025 season.

The imaginative “Pedro eta Otsoa” is a 50-minute work aiming to bring music closer to families with children four and up. The work is set to music by Sergei Prokofiev and to the magical story of a brave young boy at odds with a wolf. The Murtra Ensemble orchestra performed alongside Mitxel Santamarina, who was cast as the narrator. Fluorescent puppets were enlivened by Enrique Lanz, Leo Lanz, Yanisbel Martínez, and Cristina Colmenero. Lanz also served as stage director.

The Arriaga Theatre hosted three performances on Nov. 23 and 24. A school performance took place on Nov. 25 as part of ABAO Bilbao Opera’s educational programming, which serves nearly 3,000 infant and primary school pupils from 75 educational centers throughout the season.

Up next for ABAO TXIKI is two children’s operas produced by Chamber Opera of Navarra. First is the premiere of Jesús María Echeverría’s “D’Artagnan and the Young Musketeers.” Víctor Iriarte directs the performances held Jan. 3-5. “The Emperor’s New Clothes” with music by Iñigo Casalí and direction by Ion Barbarin returns to the stage March 15 – 17. The season closes on May 10-12 with the Bilbao premiere of “¡Soy Salvaje!,” by La Maquiné and the Agencia Andaluza de Instituciones Culturales, with stage direction by Joaquín Casanova.