Benjamin Bruns, Véronique Gens, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Daniel Luis de Vicente & Marie Lys Lead Opera Vlaanderen 2025-26 Season
By Francisco SalazarOpera Vlaanderen has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the operas and vocal performances.
Alejo Pérez conducts Wagner’s “Parsifal” in a production by Susanne Kennedy. Benjamin Bruns, Dshamilja Kaiser, Kartal Karagedik, and Albert Dohmen star.
Performance Dates: Sept. 23-Oct. 22, 2025
Vuvu Mpofu leads Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” with Vincenzo Neri, César Cortés, and Emanuel Tomljenović. Andriy Yurkevych conducts.
Performance Dates: Nov. 2-14, 2025
The company will present a double featuring Luc Brewaeys’ “L’uomo dal fiore in bocca” and Francis Poulenc’s “La Voix Humaine.” Sally Matthews stars in Poulenc’s work while Davide Damiani, Thomas Blondelle, and Sawako Kayaki star in Brewaeys’ work. Sora Lee conducts.
Performance Date: Nov. 22, 2025
Wolfgang Stefan Schwaiger stars in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” alongside Michael Arivony, Marie Lys, and Kateryna Kasper. Francesco Corti conducts the production by Tom Goossens.
Performance Dates: Dec. 14, 2025-Jan. 20, 2026
Véronique Gens headlines Leoš Janáček’s “The Makropoulos Affair” with Robin Adams, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesleur, and Jean-Paul Fouchécourt. Dennis Russel Davies conducts the revival of Kornél Mundruczó’s production.
Performance Dates: Feb. 5-16, 2026
Daniel Luis de Vicente leads Verdi’s “Nabucco” with Ewa Vesin, Jessica Stakenburg, and Lotte Verstaen.
Performance Dates: Feb. 22-March 15, 2026
Florentina Holzinger’s production of “Sancta” featuring Hindemith’s work will be presented starring Cornelia Zink, Andrea Baker, Emma Rothmann, and Annina Machaz. Marit Strindlund conducts.
Performance Dates: April 4-9, 2026
Raehann Bryce-Davis leads Bizet’s “Carmen” alongside Josy Santos, Joel Prieto, and Kyungho Kim. Keren Kagarlitsky conducts the production by Wim Vandekeybus.
Performance Dates: May 29-June 28, 2026
Concerts
Alessandro Palumbo conducts Maria Warenberg in Rossini arias and overtures.
Performance Dates: August 30 & 31, 2026
Alejo Pérez conducts Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” with Dshamilja Kaiser and Benjamin Bruns. The concert also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6.
Performance Dates: Oct. 5 & 7, 2026
The four Cabaret Songs that Benjamin Britten composed in the 1930s will be performed alongside with the Flute Quartet by Mozart, the Serenade in C for string trio by Ernö Dohnanyi, and a new work by Koen Severens.
Performance Dates: Feb. 7 & 8, 2026
The company will present Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder-Walzer, opus 52, with Schubert’s Trout Quintet for piano and strings.
Performance Dates: March 6 & 7, 2026
Vonk
Michael Hell conducts “QueerPassion,” featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach will star Susanne Elmark, Yosemeh Adjei, Julian Habermann, and Markus Schäfer.
Performance Date: August 22, 2025
Zoe Zeniodi conducts “Barzakh” with Marjan De Schutter, Edith Saldanha, Jeroen Van der Ven, and Atta Nasser.
Performance Dates: Dec. 10-16, 2025
Elien Hanselaer conducts OperaLab, which features the International Opera Academy.
Performance Dates: Dec. 18, 2025-June 26, 2026
Somer & Winter will feature Joke Emmers and the Kinderkoor Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Hans Vercauteren conducts.
Performance Dates: Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026
