(Credit: Wilfried Hösl)

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced that it has canceled the presentations of “Judith,” a concert for orchestra coupled with Béla Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” on March 5, 8 & 11, 2021.

The performances were supposed to star Nina Stemme and John Lundgren, with Oksana Lyniv conducting the production by Katie Mitchell.

Additionally, the opera house has canceled performances of Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” on March 6, 10 & 13, 2021. The opera was set to star Günther Groissböck as Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen, Christian Gerhaher in the role of Wolfram von Eschenbach, Anja Harteros in the role of Elisabeth, Daniela Sindram as Venus, and Klaus Florian Vogt in the title role.

Simone Young was signed on to conduct the production by Romeo Castellucci.

The German federal government has extended the nationwide lockdown until March 7, 2021. Many German opera houses have already shut down until April 2021 due to the uncertainty over the rapid spread of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants in Europe.