The Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT) is set to present the world premiere of “Upside Down,” the first opera by New York-based Lithuanian composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė.

The work was conceived with the late American theatre visionary Robert Wilson and will open LNOBT’s 107th season in Vilnius between Sept. 18 and 25, 2026.

Scored for 10 soloists, chorus and orchestra, the two-hour work will be performed by the LNOBT Orchestra and Chorus under Music Director and Conductor Modestas Pitrėnas, and unfolds across a prologue and three acts comprising nine scenes.

Martinaitytė and Wilson began not with a conventional story but with a title and a precise dramatic architecture – a method recalling Wilson’s collaboration with Philip Glass on “Einstein on the Beach.”

Wilson developed the work’s dramatic structure and storyboard/book and contributed portions of the libretto. His death in July 2025 came before he could stage the opera. As a result, the world premiere will be directed by Nicola Panzer, his long-time collaborator, who had been involved in the project from its early stages.

The production will showcase the work of set designer Stephanie Engeln, costume designer Sarah Mittenbühler, lighting designer Marcello Lumaca, makeup and wig designer Manu Halligan, video designer Robert Pflanz and choreographer Alexis Fousekis.

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