(Photo: Wiener Staatsoper Michael Poehn) Premiered in 1863, “Les Pêcheurs de perles” is one of Georges Bizet’s earliest operas, composed more than a decade before his masterpiece “Carmen.” Set on the exoticized shores of ancient Ceylon, it combines lush lyricism with themes of friendship, desire, and betrayal. Though initially overshadowed by Bizet’s later success, the opera has gradually earned recognition {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer” on April 29, 2026. The company said that Andreas Schager has canceled his performances as Erik and will be replaced by Jörg Schneider. In a statement Schager said, “You’ve been fighting dragons all over the world for years and then you’re gently slowed down {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2026-27 season. Premiere Zemlinsky’s “Eine Florentinische Tragödie” and Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be performed in a new production with Dmitry Golovnin, Christopher Maltman, Florian Boesch, and Asmik Grigorian. Alain Altinoglu conducts the new production by Vasily Barkhatov. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-12, 2026 Barrie Kosky directs a new production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” with {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that it will stream a Jan. 22, 2021 production of “Nabucco” on March 5, 2026 instead of the live performance that will be held in the theater. The company will stream a performance that stars Plácido Domingo, Freddie De Tommaso, Riccardo Zanellato, and Anna Pirozzi The company was originally set to live stream a performance of {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its proaction of “Nabucco” on March 5, 2026 which will be livestreamed. The company said that Szilvia Vörös will replace mezzosoprano Monika Bohinec in the role of Fenena. Vörös has been a member of the Wiener Staatsoper ensemble since 2018. She made her international debut in 2014 at the Budapest State {…}
On March 5, the Wiener Staatsoper is set to stream Verdi’s “Nabucco” in a revival of Günter Krämer’s production. The opera will be conducted by Marco Armiliato and will star Anna Netrebko as Abigaille. She will be accompanied by Amartuvshin Enkhbat in his acclaimed interpretation of the title role, Ivan Magrì as Ismaele, Alexander Vinogradov as Zaccaria, and Szilvia Vörös {…}
On Feb. 26, the Wiener Staatsoper is set to stream “Luisa Miller” in a new production by Philipp Grigorian. The opera will be conducted by Michele Mariotti and will star Roberto Tagliavini as Walter, Freddie De Tommaso as Rodolfo, Daria Sushkova as Federica, Marko Mimica as Wurm, Nadine Sierra in the title role, and George Petean as Miller. The stream {…}
(Credit: Susanne Hassler-Smith) “Luisa Miller” by Giuseppe Verdi is a tragic tale of love destroyed by social hierarchy and political intrigue. The young peasant Luisa Miller is in love with Rodolfo, who is in fact the son of the powerful nobleman Count Walter, though he has been living in disguise. Their relationship is opposed by Rodolfo’s father, who intends him {…}
(Photo: © OMC Marco Borrelli) Over the past three years, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo has presented a complete cycle of the Mozart–Da Ponte operas in semi-staged performances by the Wiener Staatsoper. The series began in 2023 with “Le Nozze di Figaro,” continued in 2024 with “Don Giovanni” and concluded on February 9, 2026, with “Così fan tutte.” When “Semi-Staged” Means {…}
On Dec. 31, 2025, ORF III will broadcast the Wiener Staatsoper’s production J. Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.” The production by Otto Schenk will star Jonas Kaufmann as Eisenstein in his first stage performances of the role alongside Diana Damrau as Rosalinde. They will be joined by Jochen Schmeckenbecher as Frank, Daria Sushkova as Prinz Orlofsky, Jörg Schneider as Alfred, Adrian Eröd {…}
(Photo: Ashley Taylor) Richard Strauss’s one-act opera “Elektra” (1909), with a searing libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, stands as a monumental achievement in 20th-century music drama. A radical adaptation of Sophocles’ tragedy, it plunges the listener into the tormented psyche of Elektra, obsessed with avenging her father Agamemnon’s murder by her mother, Klytämnestra, with the help of her lover Aegisth. {…}