Name: Manon Lescaut
Start: 2026-12-26T13:00:00
Location: Opernhaus Zürich

Sonya Yoncheva

Lauri Vasar

Joshua Guerrero

Salvador Villanueva

Daniel Norman

Marcela Rahal

Francesco Ivan Ciampa

Shavleg Armasi

Samuel Wallace

Theodore McAlindon

Rufus Didwiszus

Klaus Bruns

Franck Evin

Barrie Kosky

Fabio Dietsche

Opernhaus Zürich

Tannhäuser lived for seven years in the dream world of the Venusberg, but even his return to the stifling society of Wartburg Castle brings no fulfillment. A pilgrim between worlds, he is homeless. The Icelandic director Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson, known for his compelling interpretations of mythical material and grand narratives, stages "Tannhäuser" as an existential drama of identity and a surreal journey into the human psyche. Wagner condensed the search for meaning and stability in a world that seems to be slipping away into a philosophical description of the world.

Tannhäuser

“Love is a rebellious bird,” sings Carmen in Georges Bizet’s opera of the same name. In 1992, the Swedish dance legend Mats Ek made Carmen the title character of a ballet for the Cullberg Ballet. He closely follows the novella by Prosper Mérimée on which the opera is based, in which Don José recounts Carmen’s story from his death cell. Playing with classical gender roles, Mats Ek avoids common Carmen clichés and arrives at a profoundly human interpretation. The Australian choreographer Dani Rowe, who now directs the Oregon Ballet Theatre, presents “Vestige,” set to the music of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” in Maurice Ravel’s orchestral arrangement. In episodic visions, people, impressions, and experiences pass before the main character, “Human,” allowing her to draw new strength from her memories.

Rebel Birds

"The Magic Flute" is one of the most enigmatic masterpieces in the history of opera. Mozart's last opera transports the listener to a world of magic, trials, and mysterious symbols, telling a story of the search for inner strength, maturity, and the overcoming of fears. Between light and shadow, a universal interplay of human experiences unfolds – carried by Mozart's profound music and its compelling appeal to humanity. The new production is directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca from Ticino, whose poetic stage language uniquely blends theater, acrobatics, and circus. 

The Magic Flute

Magda leaves her wealthy patron when she meets the young Ruggero. But the feeling of first love cannot be relived. Puccini's "La rondine" (The Swallow), commissioned by Vienna's Carl Theater, is an unusual blend of opera and operetta that puzzled critics: some found it too heavy, others too light. Despite several revisions to the ending, Puccini considered his "problem child" a gem that remains rarely performed to this day. Christof Loy directs this work as an impressive rediscovery. Marco Armiliato conducts.

La rondine

William Shakespeare tells a story of love and transformation in his comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He interweaves the paths and detours of Eros in several plot lines, inevitably leading to mix-ups, misunderstandings, and hilarious scenes. Ballet director Cathy Marston and designer Richard Hudson stage their "Midsummer Night's Dream" in a dilapidated, abandoned fairground. Providing a counterpoint to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's famous incidental music is Gabriel Prokofiev's "Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra No. 1." Robert Houssart conducts the Zurich Opera Orchestra and receives expert support from the popular British DJ Mr. Switch.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Bernhard-Theater

The extensive concert program presents itself with dazzling diversity and a variety of formats. The Zurich Opera Orchestra, in full force, will perform in seven Philharmonic Concerts, alternating between the Opera House and the Tonhalle. Internationally renowned soloists and guest conductors will dedicate themselves to major works from Beethoven to Strauss, as well as fascinating discoveries from the concert repertoire. A special highlight is the Prokofiev Cycle, created in collaboration with the Tonhalle Orchestra. Three concerts by the Orchestra La Scintilla on period instruments, as well as a series of gala and special concerts – including one with the Children's Opera Orchestra – further enrich the diverse offerings. The musicians of the Zurich Opera Orchestra can be heard in smaller, more intimate ensembles in the popular Chamber Concerts, held every Sunday morning and Monday evening. The Ensemble Opera Nova brings works from the late 20th and 21st centuries to the Studio Stage. The concert program is rounded off by the song recitals, in which some of the most beautiful and characteristic voices of our time can be heard.

1. Chamber Concert

To be someone else for one night? Rosalinde, who would much rather have been an artist, isn't the only one who dreams of this. Together with the recently imprisoned Gabriel von Eisenstein, the servant Adele, and the vengeful Dr. Falke, she embarks on a journey to Prince Orlofsky's infamous party, a world where anything goes. Camilla Nylund sings Rosalinde in Anna Bernreitner's production, with costumes by fashion designer Arthur Arbesser.

The bat

Benefit «amiamusica»

Mutter & González-Granados

The extensive concert program presents itself with dazzling diversity and a variety of formats. The Zurich Opera Orchestra, in full force, will perform in seven Philharmonic Concerts, alternating between the Opera House and the Tonhalle. Internationally renowned soloists and guest conductors will dedicate themselves to major works from Beethoven to Strauss, as well as fascinating discoveries from the concert repertoire. A special highlight is the Prokofiev Cycle, created in collaboration with the Tonhalle Orchestra. 

Recital by Olga Peretyatko

2nd Chamber Concert

The extensive concert program presents itself with dazzling diversity and a variety of formats. The Zurich Opera Orchestra, in full force, will perform in seven Philharmonic Concerts, alternating between the Opera House and the Tonhalle. Internationally renowned soloists and guest conductors will dedicate themselves to major works from Beethoven to Strauss, as well as fascinating discoveries from the concert repertoire. A special highlight is the Prokofiev Cycle, created in collaboration with the Tonhalle Orchestra.

1st Concert La Scintilla

With "Manon Lescaut," Giacomo Puccini established a series of tragic female figures in whom passionate devotion and existential despair are intertwined. In four large, cinematically edited scenes, he depicts the stages of the title character's life: her intoxicating love for the student Des Grieux, a life in luxurious Parisian society, and finally, exile and death in an American desert. Director Barrie Kosky underscores the fleeting nature of this life by presenting the narrative as a continuous, feverish journey: Death is already on the coachman's seat at Manon and Des Grieux's first encounter. Following her acclaimed Tosca, soprano Sonya Yoncheva returns to the Zurich Opera House as Manon.