BarokOpera Amsterdam is set to present an abridged version of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” under the title “Mozart in Istanbul” in the garden of Paleis Het Loo.

Set for August 8 – 16, 2026,  the production will star Turkish baritone Sinan Vural as Pasha Selim opposite soprano Tinka Pypker as Konstanze, with Turkish and Dutch instrumentalists joining the ensemble. Frédérique Chauvet serves as artistic and musical director of the production.

Selim Doğru, who directs the production, wrote new Turkish arias for the role of Pasha Selim and rewrote the dialogue for a contemporary staging. The production combines the opera’s original German with Turkish, while Dutch narration and staged scenes guide the audience through the story.

The production marks the first installment in a four year artistic research program from BarokOpera Amsterdam devoted to reinterpreting historical operas through intercultural perspectives, bringing historical repertoire into dialogue with contemporary narratives.

The performances also connect to the exhibition “De Grote Trap,” on view at Paleis Het Loo, which examines a monumental mural depicting Ottoman figures at the heart of the palace and traces the historical ties between the Dutch court, Versailles, and the Ottoman Empire.

BarokOpera Amsterdam has spent more than 25 years producing accessible, original music theater at the intersection of opera, operetta, and musical, combining historically informed performance with contemporary theater and collaborators from a range of cultural traditions.