Lighting Designer

The composer Engelbert Humperdinck based his work on the most famous of all fairy tales. The operatic version of the story of the siblings Hänsel and Gretel, who lose their way in the forest and nearly fall victim to the Knusperhexe, or witch, has always inspired audiences. The music takes well-known folk melodies and combines them with large, shimmering soundscapes that move between dream and reality, and between fears and fantasies. Zurich-born director Thom Luz has received numerous awards for his theater work. With «Hansel and Gretel», he makes his long-awaited opera debut, and unleashes the poetic power of theatrical magic. Lithuanian conductor Giedrė Šlekytė musically directs.

Hansel and Gretel

Zurich Opera House

A silk ladder (La scala di seta) enables Giulia to receive her husband, whom she married against her guardian’s wishes, in her room night after night. The fact that three men end up using the silk ladder is one of the unsavory complications of this comedy. Director Damiano Michieletto presents the six-character work as a fast-paced sitcom, true to Rossini’s motto that the everyday must be exaggerated in order for it to become an opera.

The Silk Ladder

Cardillac cannot part with his art. The jeweler must kill anyone who buys jewelry from him. E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novella «Das Fräulein von Scuderi», one of the first German detective stories, served as source material for Paul Hindemith. His 1926 opera is a milestone in the development of music theater. A century years after its premiere, theater and filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó stages this thriller about obsessions, control, and self-alienation. 

Lighting Designer

Elfried Roller

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 15 - Mar 10, 2026

Cardillac · Opernhaus Zürich

Past events

Nov 16, 2025 - Jan 31, 2026

Hansel and Gretel · Opernhaus Zürich

Sep 25 - Oct 24, 2025

The Silk Ladder · Opernhaus Zürich

About

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