The growing interest in the work of Mieczysław Weinberg – a fascinating composer working at the intersection of Polish, Jewish, and Russian cultures – has led to his works appearing not only on CDs and in philharmonic repertoires, but also on the stage. His operas are becoming increasingly well-known (" The Passenger" was performed on our stage), and it's time to discover Weinberg's ballet, " The Golden Key ," intended for children .

Pinocchio

Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera

What is opera? How and when did it originate? Why might it be of interest to everyone? During this meeting, we will explore the secrets of one of the most fascinating musical forms: opera. It is a unique combination of words, music, visual art, movement, gesture, and acting. The opera lesson will also provide an opportunity to listen to a short live concert performed by opera soloists and talk with real artists!

Belcanto, or knowledge about opera

The beloved story of Cinderella told through music and dance. We invite children and their guardians to a ballet performance presented on the Chamber Stage of the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, choreographed by Antonio Lanzo, performed by young ballet students from the Roman Turczynowicz Secondary Ballet School in Warsaw.

Cinderella

Memories, summaries, plans, New Year's resolutions... What if we could suspend all reflections for a moment and escape the mundane? Start the New Year on a high note? Only with great operatic hits in masterful performances. We'll hear stars of Polish and international opera stages, as well as the choir and orchestra of the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera. A guaranteed good time!

New Year's Eve Gala

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

In Barrie Kosky's production of The Magic Flute, everything is straight out of a fairy tale, and every idea demonstrates the director's immense sense of humor, who must have thoroughly enjoyed the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. When the red curtain opens, the audience sees only a white screen, where the frolics begin – the director imaginatively juggles, to the rhythm of Mozart's music, elements of silent film, slapstick comedy, and cartoon. The co-creators of this production – Suzanne Andrade and Paul Barritt of the "1927" ensemble – have combined film animation with live theater. The effect is dazzling. Here, Papageno, this bawdy simpleton, here portrayed as a sad clown in the style of Buster Keaton, gets drunk in the company of pink elephants honking cocktails from narrow glasses. The Queen of the Night is a giant spider, Monostatos appears as a pale vampire in a Count Dracula costume, and Pamina wears a black wig with fringe, which makes her resemble the actress and dancer Louise Brooks, a star of silent films.

The Magic Flute

"The extraordinary power inherent in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana , perhaps one of the world's most recognizable works of classical music, from its very first sound touches the imagination of listeners and viewers in a very direct and open way. The phrases and lyrics, set in a medieval context, yet framed by almost contemporary music, create a universal message about the laws of this world to which we are equally subject, great or small, at the dawn of life or at its end. Orff thought in music, thought in words, thought in theater. He inscribed the meaning of his work in intersecting dimensions," writes Waldemar Dąbrowski, general director of the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera in Warsaw, about Carl Orff's work.

Carmina Burana (The Blink of an Eye)

What's it like to work on the main stage before the curtain rises? The Open Rehearsal program is a unique opportunity for organized groups from primary and secondary schools to watch a fragment of a musical rehearsal. Artists reveal a glimpse of the performance, inviting students into their creative world.

Open trial

Detective Bemol will introduce children to the world of music, full of excitement and challenges. Together, they will discover the musical secrets of the Grand Theatre – National Opera, learn the sounds of instruments playing in the orchestra, and – as befits little detectives – solve many musical puzzles. Magnifying glass in hand, and let's set off on a musical mission!

Detective Bemol on the Trail of Sounds

Before Giacomo Puccini began composing La Bohème , which became one of the most frequently performed operas in the world, he was planning an opera about the life of Buddha. At the same time, he was drawn to the eroticism of La She-Wolf , set in Sicily. He was dissuaded from this latter project by Wagner's stepdaughter, Liszt's granddaughter, who was horrified by the story's intense brutality. With the help of the seasoned librettists Luigi Illica and Giovanni Giacosa, Puccini embarked on a free adaptation of Scenes from the Life of the Bohemians , a celebrated book by Henry Murger that unvarnishedly depicts the miserable existence of the Parisian "artistic proletariat." The book captivated me immediately. I felt like part of a family: freshness, youth, passion, gaiety, tears shed in silence, a love that gives joy and demands suffering. There are people, feelings, and heart. But above all, there is poetry, divine Poetry ," Puccini enthused, finding in Murger many familiar experiences. After the success of Manon Lescaut (1892), he was able to buy a villa in Torre del Lago, but he still remembered the hungry and cold student years he had spent in Milan.

La bohème

A series of meetings exploring the composers and operatic works currently in the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera's repertoire. Does opera have to be serious? What is the process of composing like? We answer these and many other questions during meetings filled with interesting facts, anecdotes, and musical surprises. It's the perfect opportunity to better understand opera and fall in love with it all over again!

Discover the secrets of opera

A series of workshops for visually impaired people and their companions, focusing on conversations about the theatre of the past and its history. Workshops are prepared by Theatre Museum staff, drawing on the sculpture collection. During these workshops, we not only share knowledge but also provide direct access to many valuable artifacts from our collections. This allows visitors to "touch" the history of Polish theatre and the personal stories of extraordinary individuals.

Touch the theater

Joint activities for children and adults that develop their musical, dance, and artistic imaginations. These sessions help discover children's dormant talents and build intergenerational bonds. These musical activities, exploring the world of sound and movement, are led by charismatic guides – instrumentalists and ballet masters.

Family fun in Wielki

Sunday concerts for families with children, encouraging entire families to experience music together. In the friendly atmosphere and space of the Redutowe Rooms, children can take their first steps as little music lovers and discover the most beautiful works of musical literature.

Big for the little ones

In 2020, the National Opera in Warsaw celebrated the 55th anniversary of the reconstruction of its historic home on Teatralny Square. The ambitious project of raising the theatre from ruins was completed 20 years after the war, with the grand opening of the modernized Grand Theatre on November 19, 1965. Shortly thereafter, the Warsaw Opera ensemble, including its distinguished choir, moved in from its temporary home on Nowogrodzka Street.

Chorus Opera

A ballet triptych composed of three contemporary choreographies, primarily set to Polish music. The first will be performed by our youth group PBN Junior. The other two, drawn from the repertoire of the Grand Theatre, will be performed by soloists and the core ensemble of the Polish National Ballet.

Moving rooms+

"According to our assumptions, these choreographic workshops should be an integral part of the life of a ballet company that aspires to shape its own artistic identity. Without attempts to explore new paths, means of expression, and even a new language, ballet would be an uninteresting art, devoid of surprises and challenges for the audience, perhaps even a dead art."

Creations 18

Die Frau ohne Schatten is the fourth opera created in collaboration between composer Richard Strauss and writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The work is full of ambiguous symbolism, yet simultaneously focuses on fundamental human experiences: love, loneliness, unfulfillment, and longing.

A woman without a shadow

An encounter with music and opera in the form of an interactive game for organized groups. A long journey through musical lands awaits us. During the tour, we'll learn opera and ballet curiosities, and we won't forget the orchestra and the mysterious sounds of the theater. This is a wonderful adventure, perfect for a first-time opera visit, but true music lovers will also have a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.

Musical journeys in the Great

Theatre artists have a real problem with Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt . This dramatic poem, with its episodic structure and use of fantastical elements, posed a challenge for the stage designers, but it turns out to be ideal material for a ballet performance. In 2015, the choreography for Peer Gynt was created by the Slovenian dancer of Romanian origin, Edward Clug. The premiere in Maribor was a huge success, and the ballet later traveled to Zurich, Vienna, Dortmund, Hanover, and Leipzig. What accounts for the production's popularity? Above all, it doesn't shy away from the original's fragmented narrative, leaving the significance of the protagonist's individual adventures unsaid, and above all, it employs a remarkably contemporary visual language, avoiding treating Ibsen's drama as a dusty old fairy tale inspired by folklore.

Peer Gynt

Meet young Stanisław Moniuszko – just like you, this cheerful boy loves nature, music, and playing outdoors. Staś comes to us from ancient times, and during the meeting, he will talk about the music and songs he invents with his winged friends. We will hear how Moniuszko's music sounds with percussion instruments and try our hand at singing together. It will be loud and fun!

Events in Warsaw

Pinocchio

Polish National Opera

Belcanto, or knowledge ab...

Polish National Opera

Cinderella

Polish National Opera

New Year's Eve Gala

Polish National Opera

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Magic Flute

Polish National Opera

Carmina Burana (The Blink...

Polish National Opera

Open trial

Polish National Opera

Detective Bemol on the Tr...

Polish National Opera

La bohème

Polish National Opera

Discover the secrets of o...

Polish National Opera

Touch the theater

Polish National Opera

Family fun in Wielki

Polish National Opera

Big for the little ones

Polish National Opera

Chorus Opera

Polish National Opera

Moving rooms+

Polish National Opera

Creations 18

Polish National Opera

A woman without a shadow

Polish National Opera

Musical journeys in the G...

Polish National Opera

Peer Gynt

Polish National Opera

Sing with Moniuszko

Polish National Opera