(Credits: Opernhaus Zürich official website / https://www.opera-online.com / Basel.com)

The Opernhaus Zürich, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and Theater Basel have all announced their respective closures until at least Feb. 28, 2021. The announcements came as a result of a decision by Swiss federal authorities to extend the lockdown until Feb. 28, 2021.

The Opernhaus Zürich stated that it also had to make changes to the repertoire in the coming months. The new production of “America” by Roman Haubenstock-Ramati will be postponed to the 2023-24 season. The extremely demanding and complex sound-space experience for orchestra, choir, and sound engineering cannot be realized under the current conditions even with a tried and tested COVID-19 safety protocol.

As a result of the lockdown, the Zürich Opera House will livestream a production of Gluck’s “Orphée et Euridice” on Feb. 14 at 7:00 p.m. CET. The opera will feature Russian mezzo-soprano Nadezhda Karyazina and the Swiss-Belgian soprano Chiara Skerath. Stefano Montanari will conduct the Orchestra La Scintilla.

Meanwhile the Grand Théâtre de Genève will stream “Pelléas et Mélisande” on Jan. 18, 2021.