(© Concerts Pamplona/Jakob Tillmann)

Theater Dortmund will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a new opera adapted from Wim Wenders’ film “Wings of Desire.”

The opera will feature music by Elena Kats-Chernin and a libretto by Martin G. Berger. Wenders will direct the production with Rolando Villazón in a leading role.

The opera will be performed during the 2027-28 season and will be made possible by the Wilo Foundation, which is funding the commission and the production of the sheet music and the NRW Cultural Secretariat’s New Music Theatre Fund, which is also supporting the project with production costs.

“Wings of Desire” is a 1987 film that won the Best Director Award at Cannes and went on to received awards at the German Film Award in Gold, the Bavarian Film Award, and the European Film Award.

In a statement, Opera Director Heribert Germeshausen said, “We feel great pride and joy that we have been granted the rights and the opportunity to premiere this epochal work as an opera. One would expect a work of this scale to be undertaken at a state opera house. All the more reason for our gratitude to the Wilo Foundation and the NRW Cultural Secretariat’s New Music Theatre Fund, which are providing crucial support for this project. At the same time, this project highlights what makes Dortmund so special: the collaborative approach of various institutions, their commitment to the community, and the resulting opportunities for projects that have a far-reaching impact beyond the city limits.”