This season, the Komische Oper Berlin has curated an eclectic mix of performances, each offering a unique narrative and soundscape that promises to enthrall audiences. From classic children's tales like 'The Little Witch' to the seductive allure of 'Chicago,' the visceral storytelling of 'Sweeney Todd,' and the timeless magic of 'The Marriage of Figaro,' the opera house is unveiling a rich tapestry of genres and themes. Discover the enchantment of opera through these performances, where music, narration, and visual artistry collide in unforgettable harmony.

A Theatrical Spectacle: Exploring Komische Oper Berlin's Latest Productions

Step into the vibrant world of Berlin's Komische Oper, where a tapestry of theatrical brilliance unfolds. From the scandalous allure of 'Chicago' to the enigmatic charms of 'The Magic Flute,' this season promises a feast for the senses. With daring productions like 'Consistent Fantasy is Reality' and heartfelt tales such as 'La Bohème,' audiences are treated to a rich blend of classic and contemporary performances. Here's a glimpse into the captivating lineup that will enchant and engage theatergoers.

A Kaleidoscope of Culture: Highlights from Berlin's Komische Oper

The Komische Oper Berlin promises an exhilarating showcase of creativity and innovation with its upcoming events. From the classic allure of 'Chicago' and the whimsical journey of 'The Magic Flute' to the heartwarming tale of 'Hansel and Gretel', and the musical conversations in 'Rich Niche', these productions offer a dynamic range of artistic experiences. Renowned directors, captivating performers, and unique collaborations define this season, inviting audiences to delve into a world where music and storytelling transcend the ordinary.

Exploring the Rich Cultural Tapestry of Komische Oper Berlin's Diverse Lineup

The Komische Oper Berlin presents an exciting array of operatic events that delve into human emotions and experiences like never before. From the enchanting animations in 'The Magic Flute' to the poignant narrative of 'GAIA-24,' these performances promise to captivate and inspire. Join us as we explore these compelling stories brought to life by talented performers, vivid storytelling, and innovative staging techniques.

A Journey Through Opera: Unveiling Human Experiences at Komische Oper Berlin

Step into the imaginative world of Komische Oper Berlin, where an array of captivating performances awaits. From the fantastical journey of 'The Magic Flute' to the heartwarming tale of 'Hansel and Gretel', and the eclectic fusion of styles in 'Schall&Rausch', each event promises a unique experience. Discover performances that range from traditional operatic classics to avant-garde productions that challenge and delight audiences. Engage with the diverse themes, visionary artists, and vibrant atmosphere that define the upcoming season at this iconic opera house.

A Dazzling Array of Operatic Adventures at Komische Oper Berlin

Agustín Gómez

Penny Sofroniadou

Ulrike Helzel

Tijl Faveyts

Johannes Dunz

Ivan Turšić

Junoh Lee

Esther Bialas

Diego Leetz

Komische Oper Berlin

After bringing Dmitri Shostakovich’s early opera The Nose to life in a wonderfully grotesque staging, Barrie Kosky now turns his attention to a far more radical work by the Russian composer: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, a dark tale of sex and violence featuring one of opera’s most fascinating female characters.

La­dy Mac­beth of Mtsensk

Schiller Theater

A domineering linguistics professor transforms a rough-and-tumble flower seller into a refined lady—what a romance! And as a musical, it’s been an unmatched success, enchanting audiences worldwide for nearly seventy years, thanks to Shaw’s brilliant story and Loewe’s unforgettable melodies.

My Fair Lady

Into the light, into beauty, into life! Spring symbolizes the power of transformation, rebirth, and the ancient promise of coming prosperity. What could this dream of abundance mean for us culturally, spiritually, and sonically, beyond national boundaries? With their chamber opera Selemo, the South African composers and performers Sbusiso Shozi and Nhlanhla Mahlangu from Johannesburg’s Centre for the Less Good Idea are taking a new approach to the idea of spring, exploring it through body, sound, and voice. Together with soloists and orchestral musicians from the Komische Oper Berlin, they’re sparking a musical conversation about returning to a more deeply rooted understanding of nature, one that goes beyond the dictates of the colonial calendar. African rites of passage meet baroque splendour when Vivaldi’s Four Seasons intertwine with the Umkhosi woMhlanga, the ritual reed dance of the Swazi. The world premiere of Selemo, co-produced with the Neuköllner Oper, is about new beginnings, creative exchanges, and shared celebrations.

Selemo

Neuköllner Oper

Destitute and directionless, Australian musician Nick Cave arrived in West Berlin in the 1980s, plunging himself into the city’s drug scene and emerging as an underground legend. His 1988 album Tender Prey, created with The Bad Seeds during his Berlin years, now undergoes a romantic symphonic synthesis as part of the Schall&Rausch festival. In the subterranean chamber of the former Kindl brewery, the orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin – under the baton of Music Director James Gaffigan – juxtaposes the pitch-black death wish of a post-punk junkie against the world-weariness of Franz Schubert’s lonely wanderer. Songs of futility and farewell from Schubert’s 1827 song cycle Winterreise, in Hans Zender’s orchestral arrangement, resonate with a sharp chill as they repeatedly pierce through Nick Cave’s brooding soundtrack.

Cave meets Schubert

Vollgutlager Berlin

When drag performer Meo Wulf joins the Komische Oper’s orchestral musicians and opera studio singers on a musical journey at the queer cathedral of SchwuZ, you know that love is in the air! Who better than the Queen of Love herself to lead us through a Valentine’s celebration in this extraordinary venue? With her exuberant lip-syncing, Meo Wulf masterfully blends declarations of love from every genre into a dazzling drag performance –followed by an electrifying afterparty!

Queen of Love

SchwuZ

Engelbert Humperdinck’s celebrated fairy-tale opera for the whole family has returned to the stage of the Komische Oper Berlin! In this new production by Dagmar Manzel, the story of the siblings lost in the forest burgeons with fresh new life, full of childlike imagination, poetic wit, and plenty of magic.

Hansel and Gretel

If you listen closely, you’ll hear—hidden within the thicket of certain melodies—the most wondrous creatures and characters, including sparkling fairies, wicked witches, and enchanted birds. With creepy-crawlies lurking in every corner, we’re going on an adventure through a magical forest with various musicians from our orchestra. We’re sure to encounter some rarely seen creatures along the way. You won’t want to miss it!

Enchanted Forest

Anyone can sit in the auditorium! But dancing on stage? Only you can do that! At our Opera Ball.

The Ball of the Komi­sche Oper Berlin

With our chamber concert series, the musicians of the Komische Oper Berlin are presenting intense listening experiences at very special locations: from the festive elegance of the Schiller Theatre to the experimental sound space in the Kindl-Areal, they show their very personal side – beyond the big stage and spectacle.

Meta­mor­phoses

Director Barrie Kosky plunges us into a nightmarish, wildly exaggerated satire, with marching noses, rolling rickshaw tables, and caricatured protagonists in garish costumes that straddle folklore and historicism, all unfolding within a cold, bleak setting that feels claustrophobic despite its size. This surrealist story of the insecure and paranoid upstart Platon Kuzmich Kovalyov is transformed into a absurd, kaleidoscopic revue of the vanities, an unsettling collision of Wozzeck and Alice in Wonderland with its own ‘irrational’ logic.

The Nose

We invite you to a matinee at the Schillertheater and all other venues on Sunday lunchtime two weeks before the premiere (note: exceptions prove the rule!). Directors, conductors, set and costume designers talk about their work and give a foretaste of the upcoming premiere. Of course, there will also be a musical sample or two!

Intro­duc­tory Matinee: Bel­shazzar

The ruling strongman is back—the kind of man who wipes the slate clean, knocks things over, takes action, and grabs what he wants, all while feeling magnificent, youthful, and cheerfully destructive. King Belshazzar was one such figure, a despotic ruler from biblical times...

Bel­shazzar

Barrie Kosky's The Magic Flute takes us into its own fantastic world of images. Tamino falls in love with a portrait of Pamina and sets out to save her. Threatened by dragons, enchanted by pink elephants, dancing constellations and flying butterfly boys, The Magic Flute becomes a magical road movie on the way to true love.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera seems to raise more puzzles and questions than it provides answers. It is not for nothing that the "title heroine" of this classic opera is an instrument - because in the end, only music seems to find the right language for the depths of basic human experiences before which logic and reason capitulate. The British theater troupe "1927" and Barrie Kosky tell the story with the help of projected animations as a living picture book in a "deliciously absurd mixture of silent and animated film." [BERLINER MORGENPOST]

The Magic Flute

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