In the first week of October, Bavarian Resonance – Shanghai Grand Theatre 2025 Opera Festival will bring Shanghai audiences an artistic feast, offering the chance to experience the unique power of German opera up close.

From 1–6 October 2025, Bayerische Staatsoper will bring a cast of more than 300 performers to Shanghai for three major events: a staged production of Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer,” a concert performance of Verdi’s “Otello,” and a symphonic concert by the Bayerisches Staatsorchester.

This visit marks the company’s long-awaited return to Shanghai after 41 years.

Bayerische Staatsoper first appeared in China in 1984, making Shanghai the starting point of its inaugural tour under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch by performing at an auditorium with modest acoustics but full occupancy. From 26 September to 16 October that year, it gave the first guest performances in China by a major European opera house, presenting Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro” and “Die Zauberflöte” in Shanghai and Beijing, alongside concerts featuring works by Weber, Mozart, and Bruckner. For Chinese audiences, these performances opened a rare window onto European opera, and remain vividly remembered by critics and opera lovers alike.

Since 1984, Shanghai’s cultural landscape has transformed drastically. Dozens of new theatres and concert venues now dominate the skyline of the city, supported by cutting-edge facilities, a strong community with an insatiable appetite for classical music and the generous public spending on culture, all contributing to an ever-growing arts scene. Against this backdrop, the return of Bayerische Staatsoper is not only a reunion but also a renewed dialogue between Munich and Shanghai spanning almost half a century.

The residency opens with Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer,” directed by Peter Konwitschny, who has caused a stir for his political views and controversy at Nürnberger Oper in 2021. Since his acclaimed 1995 production of “Parsifal” in Munich, Konwitschny has established himself as a defining interpreter of Wagner. The performance is going to be conducted by GMD Vladimir Jurowski.

Verdi’s “Otello” follows in concert form, conducted by Daniele Rustioni. The cast features Armenian tenor Arsen Soghomonyan as Otello, American soprano Ailyn Pérez as Desdemona, and Russian baritone Aleksei Isaev as Iago—an international line-up ensuring a performance of rare intensity.

The residency closes with a symphonic concert by Bayerisches Staatsorchester under Vladimir Jurowski. The programme includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 32 in G major, K.318, Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K.183, Richard Strauss’s “Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche” and “Der Rosenkavalier” Suite.

However one essential ingredient is missing from the recipe: music by Chinese composers, past or present. It remains striking how reluctantly and slowly European music institutions are learning to regard China as an equal music powerhouse rather than just a huge market place. Nothing has changed after 41 years afterall.

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