Name: The Magic Flute
Start: 2026-07-04T19:00:00
Location: Semperoper Dresden

Experience the vibrant cultural tapestry at Semperoper Dresden, where timeless operas like 'The Magic Flute' and 'Roméo et Juliette', captivating children's workshops, and lively jazz nights create a hub of artistic expression. Discover how Semperoper transforms into a realm of adventure and creativity, offering something for everyone - from opera aficionados to curious young minds.

Inside Semperoper Dresden: A Journey Through Music, Fairy Tales, and Jazz

Dive into the world of opera and ballet at Semperoper Dresden, where captivating performances and enriching children's programs unfold. From the timeless 'The Magic Flute' by Mozart to the deeply moving 'Roméo et Juliette' by Gounod, these productions showcase the incredible talents of performers and creators alike. Meanwhile, Semperoper Aktiv! offers young minds an exciting peek behind the scenes, fostering creativity and curiosity. Join us as we explore these cultural gems and their impact on audiences of all ages.

Behind the Curtains: Opera and Ballet at Semperoper Dresden

Joshua Hopkins

Georg Zeppenfeld

Victoria Randem

Christa Mayer

Jongwoo Hong

Ute Selbig

Mario Lerchenberger

Felix Krieger

Maria Perlt-Gärtner

Stepanka Pucalkova

Walter Vogelweider

Josef E. Köpplinger

Fabio Antoci

Ricarda Regina Ludigkeit

Dagmar Morell

Semperoper Dresden

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

The Magic Flute

Every last Saturday of the month,  Semperoper Aktiv! invites  children to the Semperoper for an afternoon! We enter the opera house through the stage door, as only the staff usually do, and explore the many facets of the house in a playful way: Whether it's a workshop on a current production, a movement or sound workshop, or a look behind the scenes—there's something for everyone!

Meeting point: Stage entrance : Fantastic children's room

Meeting point: Stage entrance :Fairytale stories

Meeting point: Stage entrance :Fairytale characters

Is Carmen’s gaze only to be compared with that of a wild animal? The French writer Prosper Mérimée explored this question in his novella Carmen, which was the basis for Georges Bizet’s (1838-1875) final opera, which premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. Carmen’s air of seduction is both her weapon and her downfall, for in the end she dies at the hands of her jealous lover, Don José. Carmen refuses to be told what to do and certainly doesn’t want to be rescued by Don José in the shifting sands in front of the bullfighting arena. She prefers death to having her life decided by others. In the extremely popular and passionate “Habanera” aria, which is our first encounter with Carmen, she paints a picture of herself: “Love is a rebellious bird that none can tame.” Her indomitable desire for freedom is stamped in her DNA.

Carmen

If you could change the world right now, what would you do? Change the world! by Mart van Berckel and Pedro Beriso, showing at Semper Zwei, provides a great opportunity to reflect on this and a whole host of other questions. The production aims to transport the audience to the day after a revolution: in a room full of empty chairs (the remnants of barricades), four singers meet after devastating events to reflect, to mourn and to hope … and also to think of a way forward. But they are not alone. They are joined by spoken-word artist Amara van der Elst as a figure who is simultaneously both inside and outside events. According to Mart van Berckel: “Like a presenter or a storyteller, she is responsible for what happens on stage; she can press ‘play’ or ‘pause’, rewind or fast-forward. She’s the motor driving the performance.” She addresses the audience directly with challenging texts, constantly throwing up questions that demand an answer. Amara van der Elst partly drew these questions from the lyrics of the songs which, like a collage, were compiled for this production. The music from both the 19th and 20th centuries runs from Ludwig van Beethoven to Hanns Eisler. Alongside a heady sense of revolutionary tension, the production creates space for personal reflection. Change the world! That’s not a challenge but rather an invitation to tackle difficult questions.

Ändere die Welt!

Semper Zwei

When Carmen premiered successfully at the Royal Court Theatre in 1880, Georges Bizet's exceptional work found an almost permanent place in the repertoire in Dresden. In the 2025/26 season, the work will experience its eleventh new production at the Dresden State Opera—reason enough to reflect on the opera's fascinating reception history.

 Case number: “Love is a rebellious bird”

Archivio centrale di Stato di Dresda

The centuries-old Japanese kintsugi method of repairing ceramics can be translated as “golden joinery”. Shards of broken ceramic or porcelain vessels are bonded using urushi lacquer with the cracks deliberately highlighted with a dusting of powdered gold. The aim is not to conceal the damage, but to celebrate the hidden history of a cherished object. Behind this craft, which has been widespread since the 16th century, lies the idea, closely associated with Zen Buddhism, that beauty is not to be sought in perfection, but rather in imperfection and transience. These two components symbolise the flow of life, the becoming and passing of all being.

Parts and Pieces

Staatsschauspiel 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

For guests who enjoy discovering new and unexpected sounds, the relaxed atmosphere of Semper Bar's bar counter is a popular music venue.

At Despite Everything: Love the poetry of Anna Akhmatovameets the music of Sergei Prokofiev.

Semper Bar – Despite Everything: Love

At Despite Everything: Love the poetry of Anna Akhmatovameets the music of Sergei Prokofiev.

 Semper Bar – Despite Everything: Love

A few days before the curtain rises on a premiere, we invite you to enjoy a sneak preview of a new production by eavesdropping on part of an orchestral or staged rehearsal in the Semperoper or in Semper Zwei.

The Magic Flute

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