“How am I supposed to do that? I'm going mad!” On Fadinard’s wedding day, his horse eats the straw hat of a lady having a bit of fun with her lover in the bushes. But Anaide doesn’t dare return to her jealous husband Beaupertuis without her new Florentine hat: she simply has to get hold of a new one! An odyssey full of hijinks begins, taking Fadinard across the length and breadth of Paris ...

The Italian Straw Hat

Semperoper Dresden

The fool in Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s production of Rigoletto is clad in poisonous green, and equally toxic is his mockery of the gaggle of courtiers around the Duke of Mantua. But emotionally the fool is a mess, constantly worried about his daughter Gilda, whom he jealously shields from the clutches of the Duke, an infamous rake. When Gilda nevertheless falls victim to the Duke, Rigoletto swears bloody vengeance. But the plan backfires … The hugely successful premiere of Rigoletto took place at the Teatro La Fenice in 1851. Giuseppe Verdi created a score which he himself described as ”revolutionary“ in its ground-breaking musical and dramatic intensity. The end result is a deeply shocking work, and perhaps the best opera by the great Italian.

Rigoletto

Do machines also have human rights? In the year 2037, the programmer Jonah has withdrawn to his studio following the loss of his partner. There, with the help of his robot Juri, he builds the android Alma. His best friend Piet becomes increasingly worried by Jonah’s growing attachment to Alma. And why does he erase her memory every night? When an unknown child sneaks into the rooms and befriends Alma, the small world of the studio is shaken to its core. And what is the story behind the mysterious appearance of Jonah’s former girlfriend Vivienne?

Humanoid

Semper Zwei

Who doesn’t know the heart-breaking story of the young couple from Verona? Two people from feuding families who love each other so much that, after flouting tradition and their rigid family structures, they have the courage to pay for this outrage with death. Romeo and Juliet want to do more than just break the rules – they wish to love and to live freely. The version of William Shakespeare’s play, published in 1597, has been adapted many times for theatre, ballet, film, musicals and opera, including „Roméo et Juliette“ by Charles Gounod.

Roméo et Juliette

Mozart’s most popular opera is a deeply humane story of adventure with heavenly music.

The Magic Flute

Who doesn’t know the heart-breaking story of the young couple from Mantua? Two people from feuding families who love each other so much that, after flouting tradition and their rigid family structures, they have the courage to pay for this outrage with death. Romeo and Juliet want to do more than just break the rules – they wish to love and to live freely. The version of William Shakespeare’s play, published in 1597, has been adapted many times for theatre, ballet, film, musicals and opera, including „Roméo et Juliette“ by Charles Gounod.

When Salome had its world premiere in 1905, it marked the beginning of Richard Strauss’ operatic successes. Based on Oscar Wilde’s sensational tragedy, Strauss composed a musical drama rife with unleashed passion, whose worldwide success not even prudish censors could stop. Using one of the most scandalous stories in cultural history, whose origins lie in the New Testament, Strauss created a musical and stunning psychological profile of the unconscious, laying bare the conflict between sensuality and asceticism, between intoxication and loneliness, power and love.

Salome

Oper Leipzig

We've all been there: in hotels, you're always fascinated by people from all over the world and their customs! And when this motley crew find themselves in a tizzy because they all want to go to Paris for the coronation but are prevented from doing so by the transportation system? And when the Hotel zur Goldenen Lilie is run by an excellent proprietor like Madame Cortese, who is determined to make her guests' stay unforgettable, virtuoso, colorful entertainment is guaranteed. Love potions, deft personnel, fainting spells due to a missing hatbox, f librations and misunderstandings culminate in a banquet with international toasts: long live the monarch and long live international understanding!

The Journey to Reims

Prince Tamino is being pursued by a wild serpent. At the last minute, he is saved by three mysterious ladies who have been sent by the queen of the night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts about the heroic deed they punish him. In contrast, they give the prince a portrait of Pamina, the daughter of the queen who is being held captive by the ruler of the temple of the sun, Sarastro. Tamino falls in love with her. The queen appears in person and orders him to rescue Pamina together with Papageno. A magic flute will protect him from any danger whilst a reluctant Papageno is given magic bells. Guided by three young boys, they set off on their way to Sarastro’s temple. Whilst the temple guards tell Tamino that Sarastro is not the evil tyrant that the queen has depicted, Papageno finds Pamino and tries to flee with her. With the help of the chimes, he is able to distract her guard Monostatos although his efforts are scuppered by the appearance of Sarastro. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino have to stay in Sarastro’s kingdom as Sarastro has something greater planned for Tamino: just as he has taken Pamina into his kingdom to protect her from her mother, he plans to get Tamino into his circle of insiders of the sun temple and, in this way, prepare him for future tasks.

Die Zauberflöte / The Magic Flute

Do people need redemption? Between heavenly choirs of angels with a radiant brass aureole and a hellish cauldron of witches with the gloomy pealing of bells, the world’s spheres take on a concrete, haunting shape in the sound space of the opera „Mefistofele“. For centuries, many different artworks have been inspired by the tale of Faust, which explores the complex relationship between God, the Devil, man and woman. Who seduces whom to do what, and how can we achieve redemption?

Jongwoo Hong

Events

Past events

May 31 - Jun 29, 2026

The Italian Straw Hat · Semperoper Dresden

8 - 30 May, 2026

Rigoletto · Semperoper Dresden

Future and recently performed repertoire

Borsa Matteo in Rigoletto by Verdi

Semperoper Dresden

Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette by Gounod

Semperoper Dresden

Nazarener in Salome by Strauss

Oper Leipzig

Monostatic in The Magic Flute by Mozart

Semperoper Dresden

Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette by Gounod

Semperoper Dresden

Jonah in humanoid by Evers

Semperoper Dresden

Happy in The Italian Straw Hat by Rota

Semperoper Dresden

About

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