(Credit: Askonas Holt /Gregor Röhrig / Julien Fauguere / Chris Singer)

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a major change to its 2020-21 season, adding several productions to the slate.

New Productions

The company will world premiere “7 Deaths of Maria Callas” on Sept. 1, 2020. The opera had previously been slated to have its first performances at the tail-end of the 2019-20 season but was ultimately canceled due to the lockdown.

The opera will get five performances and a live stream on Sept. 5, 2020, which will be available for 30 days on the company’s streaming service. The opera will star Marina Abramovic, Willem Dafoe, Nadezhda Karyazina, Selene Zanetti, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Lauren Fagan, Gabriella Reyes, and Hera Hyesang Park.

Performance Dates: Sept. 1-7, 2020 

The company will also present a new production of “Mignon” by Christiane Lutz, starring Sarah Gilford, Caspar Singh, Andres Agudelo, Juliana Zara, Daria Proszek, Christian Valle, and George Virban, among others. Pierre Dumoussaud conducts.

Performance Dates: Sept. 3-19, 2020

Walter Braunfels’ “Die Vögel” will star Wolfgang Koch, Günter Papendell, Caroline Wttergreen, Emily Pogorelc, Eliza Bloom, and Yajie Zhang, among others. Ingo Metzmacher conducts the productions directed by Frank Castorf.

Performance Dates: Oct. 31-Nov. 15, 2020; July 21, 2021 

The company will also add a new production of Verdi’s “Falstaff” directed by Mateja Koleznik. The cast will be headlined by Wolfgang Koch and will include Boris Pinkhasovich, Galeano Salas, Bogdon Volkov, Kevin Conners, Ailyn Pérez, Callum Thorpe, Elsa Benoit, and Okka von der Damerau.

Performance Dates: Nov. 26-Dec. 22, 2020 

Repertory Staples

The company will also be adding performances of “Die Zauberflöte” starring Mika Kares, George Zeppenfeld, Benjamin Bruns, Martin Mitterrutzner, Tareq Nazmi, Bo Skovhus, Milan Siljanov, Sabine Devieilhe, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Samantha Hankey, and Okka von der Damerau.

Performance Dates: Sept. 2-Jan. 1, 2021 

Christiane Karg, Angela Brower, Andrè Schuen, Ioan Hotea, Tara Erraught, and Edwin Crossley-Mercer will headline “Così fan tutte. Antonello Manacorda conducts.

Performance Dates: Sept. 13-27, 2020

Étienne Dupuis, Ludovic Tézier, Golda Schultz, Federica Lombardi, Louise Alder, Rosa Feola, Alex Esposito, and Anne Sofie Von Otter headline “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Constantinos Caryds and Ivor Bolton conduct.

Performance Dates: Sept. 23, 2020 – July 18, 2021 

Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber will present two recitals.

Performance Dates: Sept. 16, 2020, & July 26, 2020

The company also revealed that its production of “Timon of Athens” is canceled. For a look at the full 2020-21 season, click here.