The Semperoper Dresden is set to captivate audiences with a stellar lineup of performances that explore themes of love, betrayal, transformation, and the human experience. From the emotional rollercoaster in 'Intermezzo' to the enchanting journey of 'The Magic Flute,' and the poignant tale in 'La traviata,' each production promises to move and inspire. The event schedule also features festive concerts, ballet classics, and innovative new works, ensuring a season brimming with artistic brilliance and cultural enrichment.

A Season of Music and Drama: Semperoper Dresden's Spectacular Lineup

Experience a captivating blend of opera, dance, and concerts at the Semperoper Dresden. From the enchanting tale of 'The Magic Flute' to the exploratory dance of 'Wonderful World', and the heartfelt journey of 'La bohème', audiences are invited to an array of performances. Engage with the tribute to Vaslav Nijinsky, marvel at a special concert connecting man and nature, and let children explore musical masquerades. With each event, Semperoper Dresden continues to inspire and challenge, offering unique experiences that resonate deeply with both performers and attendees alike.

Semperoper Dresden: A Vivid Tapestry of Opera, Dance, and Concerts

Step into the world of captivating performances at the Semperoper Dresden, where a diverse lineup of artistic events awaits in 2025. From the enchanting opera of Mozart's 'Die Zauberflöte' to the exploration of balance in 'Wonderful World', the tragic love story of 'La bohème', and the archetypal German opera 'Der Freischütz', each event offers a unique cultural experience. Complementing these is the 40th anniversary of the Semperoper reopening, a historical reflection, and a variety of recitals and teasers, ensuring something for every art aficionado.

A Journey through Semperoper Dresden's Captivating 2025 Lineup

As the curtains rise in Dresden, the Semperoper unfolds a vibrant tapestry of operatic and ballet performances set to mesmerize audiences throughout 2024 and 2025. From the timeless allure of Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' to the avant-garde dance expressions in 'Wonderful World', the city's cultural scene promises a feast for the senses. With each event echoing the rich tradition and innovative spirit of this historic German city, the Semperoper stands as a beacon of artistic excellence, inviting enthusiasts to experience its kaleidoscope of stories, music, and movement.

Unveiling Dresden's Cultural Palette: A Year of Semperoper's Artistic Brilliance

The Semperoper Dresden is set to captivate audiences with a diverse array of performances in its upcoming season. From the timeless charm of Mozart's operas to the avant-garde exploration in 'Wonderful World', the events promise to offer something for every taste. Highlights include the legendary 'Die Zauberflöte,' the dramatic 'Lohengrin' by Wagner, and the thought-provoking 'Innocence.' The season will also celebrate significant milestones such as the 200th anniversary of the Semperoper Ballet, showcasing its rich heritage and ongoing innovation.

An Artistic Panorama: Exploring Semperoper Dresden's Upcoming Season

Semperoper Dresden is set to captivate audiences with its diverse lineup of performances, ranging from classical operas to innovative contemporary productions. Highlights include the classic tale 'The Magic Flute', the poignant love story of 'La bohème', the timeless tragedy of 'Roméo et Juliette', and the thought-provoking 'humanoid'. Each event showcases the talents of renowned artists and offers a unique experience. As we delve into these performances, we explore how they reflect broader cultural themes, contributing to the vibrant tapestry of the performing arts.

Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Performances at Semperoper Dresden

The Semperoper Dresden is set to dazzle audiences with a captivating lineup of operatic performances throughout 2025. Featuring timeless classics like 'The Magic Flute,' 'La bohème,' 'Tosca,' and 'Lucia di Lammermoor,' the season promises a blend of romance, drama, and breathtaking musical artistry. Additionally, the program highlights innovative pieces such as 'Candide' and the interactive 'Band for Kids: Schlagfertig,' ensuring a diverse offering for opera enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Join us as we delve into the highlights and nuances of these spectacular productions.

Exploring Operatic Wonders at Semperoper Dresden: A Season of Classics and New Beginnings

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.

Premiere teaser: The Snow Queen

Semperoper Dresden

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

Semper Bar – Introducing the Junge Ensemble

Semper Zwei

Advance ticket sales are available through the ticket service of the Frauenkirche Dresden Foundation:

ZDF Advent Concert

Frauenkirche Dresden

A Window on Jazz has become an integral part of the Semper Zwei programme. In the 2024/25 season, that true legend of free jazz, Günter Baby Sommer, together with photographer and jazz fan Matthias Creutziger will once again invite outstanding artists to transform Semper Zwei into a jazz club.

A Window on Jazz

Pjotr I. Tschaikovsky’s »Nutcracker«, which premiered in St. Petersburg in 1892, is a Christmas classic as popular with Semperoper audiences as Dresden Stollen or the famous Striezelmarkt. In their interpretation, Aaron S. Watkin and Jason Beechey have drawn on the stories of E. T. A. Hoffmann to create a fairy-tale classical ballet set in Dresden during the festive period: On Christmas Eve, Marie is given a nutcracker that immediately becomes her prized possession. Soon, however, danger appears in the form a horde of belligerent mice. Then the nutcracker springs to life and does battle with the enemy army. Accompanied by her new protector, the girl embarks on a journey through a land of sweet dreams, and into adulthood.

The Nutcracker

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the German premiere of Giacomo Puccini's Turandot on July 4, 1926, the archive format "Aktenzeichen" is dedicated to this successful last opera by the composer. It explores the historical background, the impressive stage design, and the intriguing question of the final version of the Dresden premiere.

Case number:Far Eastern exoticism on the express train

Archivio centrale di Stato di Dresda

It is a game of life and death initiated by the elusive Princess Turandot: each suitor for her hand must solve three riddles. Failure means execution. And so far, no prince has been able to win the great prize. But then a stranger arrives in the kingdom of Turandot, Prince Calaf, who is determined to take on the challenge. When he solves the riddles and claims the princess in marriage as agreed, he encounters a frightened woman who refuses to wed the stranger – and now the princess becomes the tortured one, for she must find out the prince’s name in order to keep her freedom. Unfinished at his death, Giacomo Puccini’s final opera was premiered as a fragment in 1926. This is a multi-layered masterpiece of great emotional intensity, musical brilliance and unique in its use of exotic Chinese melody. French stage director Marie-Eve Signeyrole makes her Semperoper debut with this operatic thriller.

Turandot

Do machines also have human rights? In the year 2037, the programmer Jonah has withdrawn to his studio following the loss of his partner. There, with the help of his robot Juri, he builds the android Alma. His best friend Piet becomes increasingly worried by Jonah’s growing attachment to Alma. And why does he erase her memory every night? When an unknown child sneaks into the rooms and befriends Alma, the small world of the studio is shaken to its core. And what is the story behind the mysterious appearance of Jonah’s former girlfriend Vivienne?

Humanoid

Two works by Stephanie Lake and Akram Khan deal with aspects of individual freedom in movement.

Wings and Feathers

Premiere teaser: Wings and Feathers

The Northern Lights evening takes you on a musical journey to Scandinavia, with works by Edvard Grieg, Jean Sibelius, but also by composers less well known in this country, such as Hugo Alfvén and Ture Rangström.

 Semper Soirée – Northern Lights

The programmes of the University Symphony Orchestra regularly feature large-scale, significant symphonic works that challenge students. Look forward to the musicians of tomorrow, who have the chance to demonstrate their skills and talent in the beautiful ambience of the Semperoper. The programme will be announced at a later date.

Concert of the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden

Who doesn’t know the heart-breaking story of the young couple from Verona? Two people from feuding families who love each other so much that, after flouting tradition and their rigid family structures, they have the courage to pay for this outrage with death. Romeo and Juliet want to do more than just break the rules – they wish to love and to live freely. The version of William Shakespeare’s play, published in 1597, has been adapted many times for theatre, ballet, film, musicals and opera, including „Roméo et Juliette“ by Charles Gounod.

Roméo et Juliette

The celebrated singer Tosca lives only for art, until political intrigue suddenly disturbs her life and that of her lover, the painter Cavaradossi: When Cavaradossi hides the political refugee Angelotti, he is targeted by the unscrupulous police chief Scarpia, who has long had his eye on Tosca. To save Cavaradossi, Tosca not only has to betray Angelotti, but also give herself to Scarpia. Premiered in 1900, Puccini’s »Tosca« is practically unique in its close interweaving of political power and personal passions. The German premiere of this opera about love, jealousy, betrayal and tyranny was held in Dresden in 1902. Director Johannes Schaaf has found a timeless narrative style for his staging.

Tosca

This ballet evening by Stephanie Lake, which is about the interaction of large groups, brings together dancers from the Semperoper Ballett and the Palucca School.

Colossus Kids

How terrible must life be if you can’t laugh? Sergei Prokofiev’s opera The Love for Three Oranges is about a king who wishes to help his sick son. But only one thing can cure the malady of the heir to the throne: laughter. While the doctors are trying their luck, Truffaldino and Fata Morgana get into a fight, during which the latter is knocked over.

The Love for Three Oranges

Is the world a disc? What if it tilts? Is life just a balancing act? What happens to our society when we lose our equilibrium? Extreme situations affect the whole world, are a challenge to humanity and lead to the most diverse reactions. Kinsun Chan and Martin Zimmermann explore such situations in abstract form, examining how individuals deal with these while depicting how change, both external and internal, leads to constant struggle. The dancers perform on an unstable stage floor that can tilt with every movement. This is the precarious platform on which the performers are exposed, risking life and limb in the process. Tirelessly, they try to make connections with others, and in so doing face the challenge of losing their balance and even the ground beneath their feet. The situations shift from controlled, abstract moments to uncontrolled, surreal chaos and, finally, to redemptive liberation.

EPSG:4326

Wonderful World

Staatsschauspiel Dresden

“If Falstaff got thinner, what would he be?” Sir John Falstaff loves food, wine and women – and urgently needs cash to pay off his debts. Despite his advanced age, he considers himself an irresistible heartthrob and writes two identical love letters to Mrs Alice Ford and Mrs Meg Page in order to get his hands on their husbands’ money. But the two women see through his plan and begin to play him at his own game ...

Falstaff

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. In discussion with members of the directing or choreography team, you will first receive background information on the work, the music and the interpretation before we throw open the doors to the rehearsal. Which part of this preparatory work you experience is sometimes only decided on the day itself and depends on the rehearsal schedule.

Premiere teaser: Falstaff

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 : A look behind the scenes with a puzzle rally

Meeting point: Stage entrance : A look behind the scenes

Meeting point: Stage entrance : Magic instruments sound

Meeting point: Stage entrance : Fantastic children's room

Meeting point: Stage entrance :Fairytale characters

Meeting point: Stage entrance :Fairytale stories

After his acclaimed literary adaptations of »Carmen« and »Peer Gynt«, Johan Inger now turns to a classic ballet that will reveal yet another facet of his art: »Swan Lake«. In 2023, the Swedish choreographer has reinterpreted this great work for Semperoper Ballett and, in so doing, addressed some profound questions: How are personal relationships affected by violence and manipulation? And what roles do personal freedom, respect and acceptance play in a loving relationship?

A Swan Lake

Music is always created through movement – ​​it is the vibrations of an instrument that are created by a musician. The music we then hear can not only trigger a variety of emotions in us, such as joy or sadness, but also an irrepressible urge to move! Speaking of urge to move: It's a good coincidence that 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the "Waltz King" Johann Strauss. His music represents lavish, dance-filled nights at balls. When you hear it, you can hardly keep your feet still! In our program "Step by Step," however, we first take a step back and explore together which movement is hidden in which music. There is music that makes you fall completely still and want to remain motionless. And there is music that immediately tears you from your seat, that makes you want to jump up and dance along! We will move between these two points in "Step by Step." And of course, we want to get you dancing!

Band for Kids: »Step by Step«

The Sächsische Landesgymnasium für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Former and current students present works by important composers who have shaped Dresden – a dialogue between generations. Dmitri Jurowski, former student and conductor, is on the podium. The concert honours the artistic heritage of the school.

Concert of the Landesgymnasium für Musik

Pedrillo, his lover Blonde and Konstanze, having been kidnapped by pirates and dragged into the seraglio by the Pasha, Bassa Selim, hope to be rescued. Konstanze’s fiancé Belmonte attempts to free them – but fails. Only the Pasha himself can grant them their freedom. Orientalism and Enlightenment meet colourful costumes and a fairytale backdrop in this production by the Dutch director and stage designer Michiel Dijkemas. In The Abduction from the Seraglio, which premiered in Vienna in 1782, Mozart gathered together numbers that are still some of the most famous in operatic literature such as Konstanze’s aria Martern aller Arten, Blonde’s Welche Wonne, welche Lust, Pedrillo’s Auf zum Kampfe or the exotic Chorus of the Janissaries.

Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Schneewitte loves her father, the King, and her beautiful stepmother. Everything is perfect – until one day the girl is all grown up, and a thousand times more beautiful than the Queen. A self-confident teenager, Schneewitte claims the throne. Trouble is brewing: the King is annoyed, and the stepmother wants Schneewitte dead. But suddenly she has seven quick-witted dwarves at her side. »Schneewitte«, which premiered in 2008, is a funny and clever adaptation of the story of Snow White by Sophie Kassies and composer Jens Joneleit. This scintillating piece of musical theatre employs contemporary music as well as jazz and pop to playfully retell the well-known fairy tale. Using only a few props, director Andrea Kramer imaginatively transforms the stage of Semper Zwei into a royal palace with a telephone, a dark forest underlaid with an orchestral soundscape, or simply into the house of the seven dwarves, who by the way also play the instruments of the orchestra.

Snow White

A shared flat in Paris’s bohemian world of artists and students: The lives of the poet Rodolfo and his friends are filled with talk of freedom, independence, art, as well as financial hardship. When Rodolfo falls in love with his neighbour Mimì, everything seems to have taken a turn for the better, but poverty and Mimì’s illness overshadow the relationship. The young couple become closely attached. Later they separate, only rediscovering their love when it is already too late. At the time of its premiere in 1896, Puccini’s best-known work broke new ground in Italian opera through its prosaic scenery and everyday subject matter. This staging by Christine Mielitz of Puccini’s fourth opera is one of the most popular productions at the Semperoper.

La bohème

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

The Magic Flute

Tired of the big city and its abundance of parties and women, the dandy Eugene Onegin travels to the countryside, where he meets Tatjana, the daughter of an estate owner. Dreaming of romantic love as described in books, she thinks she has found it in Onegin. However, he is unwilling to be tied down. After brusquely rejecting her, it is only years later that Onegin comes to understand his awful mistake and his lack of courage. Yet the realization comes too late: Tatjana has already become the wife of Prince Gremin. Tchaikovsky based his touching and intimate masterpiece from 1878 on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin. The opera not only illuminates the torn inner lives of the protagonists, but also the pitfalls of modern relationships. Markus Bothe breaks up the story's chronology using flashbacks of the various characters to create an allusive series of images in which memory, mood and the drama of the present flow seamlessly into one another.

Eugen Onegin

A maelstrom of violence is unleashed when love turns to envy, when actions are driven by betrayal and madness. David’s triumph over the giant Goliath comes to an abrupt end when King Saul views the young hero as a rival for the throne. Although Saul does everything in his power to kill David, the latter enjoys divine protection. In the end, Saul himself dies and David takes the crown for himself.

Saul

Elisabeth – Das Musical von Michael Kunze und Sylvester Levay hat sich seit seiner Uraufführung 1992 in Wien zum beliebtesten und weltweit erfolgreichsten deutschsprachigen Musical entwickelt: Die dramatische und berührende Geschichte über Leben, Wirken und Leiden der österreichischen Kaiserin sorgte bislang bei über zwölf Millionen Zuschauern in 14 Ländern für Jubel und Begeisterung! 

Elisabeth - Das Musical

Is movement dance or dance movement? Siblings Imre and Marne van Opstal see themselves not only as choreographers in the classical sense but also as movement directors. Their multi-layered and often surreal approach to dance is hugely popular around the world. Collaborating for the first time with the Semperoper Ballett, the creative duo are providing the company with a brand-new work.

Vice Versa

The Semper Bar doesn’t close its doors until the end of June when Aaron Pegram sends us off into the summer holidays with an entertaining crossover programme.

Semper Bar – Aaron Pegram

It was by no means just a chamber music appendage in an academy that included major orchestral works such as the C major piano concerto and the Symphony No. 1. When Beethoven presented new works for the first time on his own account in Vienna on April 2, 1800, the E-flat major septet was the longest item on the program. In his letter to the publisher, the composer pointed out that it was a work for seven full voices and not just a string quartet that could be supplemented by wind instruments. The septet became Beethoven's most popular work during his lifetime: it was not only played frequently, but also appeared in countless more or less authorized arrangements.

8th Chamber Evening

Shostakovich's piano concertos are rarely separated. The first dates from 1933. With its witty humor, it is reminiscent of silent film music: the composer once earned his living as a cinema pianist. The neoclassical second from 1957, on the other hand, seems out of date. "I have finished a piano concerto that has no value whatsoever," judged the Russian. But like so many things, these words should not be taken too lightly: Shostakovich composed the work for his son, who he did not want to prevent from seeing it. To open the Shostakovich Days, Marie Jacquot combines the Janus-faced pair with Kurt Weill's 2nd Symphony, which was premiered in exile in Paris in 1934.

Special concert on the eve of the International Shostakovich Days Gohrisch

Kulturpalast Dresden

Mendelssohn's "Scottish" is a prime example of romantic classicism: its wanderlust, its folk tone and its world of legends are romantic, while its structure is classicist. The work was inspired by a trip to Scotland in 1829. Mendelssohn found the opening A minor motif in the ruins of Holyrood Palace: "I think I have found the beginning of my Scottish Symphony today," he wrote to his parents. But the ascending triad remained unused for a long time. It was not until 1840 that Mendelssohn resumed work on this composition. The youthful work now became a symphony of maturity in the immediate vicinity of another masterpiece, the E minor Violin Concerto.

4. Aufführungsabend

Most people have probably heard the song "Sleep, little child, sleep" before going to sleep. It is one of over 700 German folk songs that the poets Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano published just over two hundred years ago, many of which are still very well known today. They called this collection "Des Knaben Wunderhorn". About a hundred years later, the composer Gustav Mahler set some of these songs to music for a singer and orchestra. In fact, Gustav Mahler often used very popular melodies in his works that he himself had heard as a child in his Moravian homeland. And so he invented his own musical language. In this concert we will play some songs from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn", among others. Just like in the seventh symphony concert of the Staatskapelle. Sharing with the family is encouraged!

Band for Kids: »Wunderhorn«

humanoid

Premiere teaser: humanoid

er Kammermusiktausch mit dem Leipziger Gewandhaus rückt zum Jubiläum von Dmitri Schostakowitsch mit dessen zweitem Klaviertrio eines seiner wichtigsten Werke in den Mittelpunkt. Es entstand im Andenken an Iwan Sollertinski. Der Dramaturg hatte dem Komponisten nicht nur die Musik Gustav Mahlers nahegebracht, sondern auch gewichtige Impulse für das Schaffen Schostakowitschs gegeben. Neben der Trauer um den Freund spiegelt das Trio die Not und das Elend der Kriegszeit. Ein aus jüdischer Volksmusik entlehntes Thema erinnert im Finale gleichermaßen an die Opfer Hitlers und Stalins. Es wird später im berühmten 8. Streichquartett von 1960 erneut verarbeitet – als düstere Mahnung an die Überlebenden.

7. Kammmerabend

Premiere teaser: Saul

Rundfoyer Semperoper

Guest concert of the Staatskapelle Dresden in Hamburg

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Based on Voltaire’s satire „Candide ou l’optimisme“, Leonard Bernstein created a masterpiece of modern operetta about the madness of the world. In a witty and lively mixture of opera, musical and revue, he not only parodies traditional dance forms such as the gavotte, mazurka, polka and waltz, but also slyly sprinkles the score with the operatic quotations.

Candide

Wherever we are, we are surrounded by rhythm: be it the water tap dripping steadily, the rattling of the tram or the enthusiastic clapping at the end of a concert. These types of rhythm surround us every day and we can hardly influence them. But we can also consciously tap out a rhythm, for example with a wooden spoon on a pot or with our hands on a table. In the orchestra, the drums are responsible for the rhythm. The drummers can not only play the most amazing rhythms, they can also produce very different tones and even melodies. We once cleared out the instrument cabinets of the Staatskapelle percussion group. We want to bring back and demonstrate what we found. You will be amazed!

Band for Kids: »Schlagfertig«

With „Classics“, the Semperoper Ballett premieres a programme that unites three dance creations that have become signature pieces of their respective creators:

Classics

Who doesn’t know the heart-breaking story of the young couple from Mantua? Two people from feuding families who love each other so much that, after flouting tradition and their rigid family structures, they have the courage to pay for this outrage with death. Romeo and Juliet want to do more than just break the rules – they wish to love and to live freely. The version of William Shakespeare’s play, published in 1597, has been adapted many times for theatre, ballet, film, musicals and opera, including „Roméo et Juliette“ by Charles Gounod.

After Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy left his parents' house in Berlin in 1829, his sister Fanny, who was married to the court painter Wilhelm Hensel, took over the management of the salon with the famous Sunday music. This was the only place where music lovers could experience her compositions, as her ambitions were not approved by her family for a long time. It was not until 1846 that Felix gave his blessing for the publication of his sister's compositions. Her last major work was the Piano Trio in D minor from 1847. Fanny's talent as a composer remained unnoticed for a long time - it was not until the turn of the 21st century that her work was systematically examined for musical practice.

6th Chamber Evening

Premiere teaser: Roméo et Juliette

In a kind of match, three choreographers enter the ring of Semper Zwei one after the other.

Tag Team – Phase 3

Guest Concert of the Staatskapelle Dresden in Madrid I

National Music Auditorium

Lucia Ashton falls in love with her family’s mortal enemy, Edgardo, and the young couple pledge eternal fidelity. However, Lucia’s brother Enrico is intent on marrying her off to a rich heir. When Lucia finally believes herself entirely abandoned and alone, with even her beloved Edgardo scorning and insulting her, she murders her unwanted husband on their wedding night. With her family grieving at her perceived insanity, Lucia sees this terrible act as a form of liberation, believing herself close to achieving happiness with her lover. Based on the bestselling novel by Sir Walter Scott, »Lucia di Lammermoor« pearl of bel canto opera. Composed by Gaetano Donizetti in 1835, it is a huge challenge for every singer, both musically and dramatically. In his staging for Dresden, Dietrich W. Hilsdorf illuminates the psychological states of the protagonists by focusing on the central human relationships. The ghostly sounds of the glass harmonica underscore the sensitive inner world of an oppressed woman in her fight against the rest of the world.

Lucia di Lammermoor

„Einblicke in die Rollschubanlage des Historischen Archivs“ – spannend moderierter Einblick in historisches Bildmaterial, Programmhefte, Korrespondenzen, Presseberichte und Anekdoten aus dem Archiv der Staatsoper und des Staatsschauspiels.

Aktenzeichen: 200 Jahre Semperoper Ballett

Historisches Archiv

How is the Semperoper Ballett celebrating its 200th anniversary? Not at all in classical style but with a tag team match in Semper Zwei. Here there are no winners or losers; instead, there’s a special challenge, a creative competition involving innovative joy in movement, fun and a common goal: to look back over the 200-year history of the Semperoper Ballett as well as to peer into the future.

Tag Team – Phase 1

It is no coincidence that the Ukrainian-Russian conductor Anna Rakitina is focusing on music by the Finn Jean Sibelius in this concert. His last symphony, written in 1924, overcomes the idea of ​​the national school, to which Sibelius was also once committed. The Seventh consists of just one movement, develops organically and combines traditional formal elements seamlessly. It is considered a masterpiece of reduction. The concert begins with a no less interesting premiere: in his overture "GerMania", the young composer Florian Frannek combines elements of new music with traditional influences and experimental sounds.

3rd performance evening

200 years and 200 dancers: that’s no April Fool’s joke! Celebrate with us the 200th anniversary of the founding of a permanent ballet ensemble which, in its modern incarnation as the Semperoper Ballett, enjoys enormous international acclaim.

200 × 200 Semperoper Ballet

Theaterplatz

Richard Wagner’s »Lohengrin«, which premiered in Weimar in 1850, is closely associated with Dresden: Inspired by the charming landscape around the nearby village of Graupa, Wagner began the opera in 1846 when employed as Kapellmeister to the royal court, completing the work in the Saxon capital in 1849. Since its first performance in Dresden ten years later, the work has been heard over 850 times at the Semperoper. This production from 1983 is a true classic, thrilling audiences year after year. Retaining the work’s roots in both the 19th century and the Middle Ages, director Christine Mielitz tells the story of Elsa, unlawfully accused of murder and at the mercy of her adversaries in the duchy of Brabant, who is rescued by the mysterious Swan Knight. This is a tragic tale of a woman fighting for recognition but also for knowledge. At the end comes the bitter realization that her justifiable wish to know the name of the person to whom she owes her happiness will result in his downfall.

Lohengrin

From an alternative dance scene to established institutions, from experimental performances to musicals and ballet evenings: Dresden is a hugely innovative centre of dance. The aim of DRESDANCE is to place a spotlight on this astonishing diversity.

Dresdance 2025

The wedding of the servant couple Figaro and Susanna is imminent, and everything could be so wonderful, if it weren’t for the lecherous Count Almaviva, who has been stalking Susanna for some time, as well as the vengeful Doctor Bartolo and his housekeeper Marcellina, who all wish to prevent the wedding. After numerous twists and turns, Figaro and Susanna, with the help of the Countess and thanks to an ingenious plan of revenge, finally succeed in thwarting Almaviva using his own art of seduction so that, in the end, all couples are reunited. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s „The Marriage of Figaro“, which premiered at Vienna’s Hoftheater in 1786, is the first of the three Mozart-da Ponte operas. Despite its quick-fire comedic action, the work foreshadows some of the radical ideas of the French Revolution. In his staging, director Johannes Erath takes the audience on a journey through the different epochs of theatrical history from Commedia dell’arte to the modern age.

Le nozze di Figaro

Can the past be denied and memories erased? After a mass shooting at an international school, pupils, parents and teachers are left horrified and traumatised. The teenage perpetrator is committed to a psychiatric ward. Ten years later, Stela is celebrating her wedding to Tuomas, who she met in her home country of Romania, together with his parents and a priest. She is so happy that she doesn’t ask why there are so few guests. But the waitress hints that there is something Stela doesn’t know – that her groom has another brother.

Innocence

When looking for the role models of the influential "Mannheim School", one often comes across the name of Johann Evangelist Brandl, born in Regensburg in 1760. Even though the Upper Palatinate native never made it to the actual Mecca of the musical avant-garde, he nevertheless made enough contacts with colleagues in the Bruchsal court of the Prince-Bishop of Speyer. They helped him when the bishop had to flee from the French in 1792, who then finally took Bruchsal seven years later. Brandl's new place of work was the Francophile court of the Grand Duke of Baden. There he composed numerous works for the bassoon, which he loved, until his death in 1837 - including the Quintet op.63.

5th Chamber Evening

Premiere teaser: Innocence

The best way for young artists to learn is to make music with experienced colleagues. Christa Mayer, a member of the Semperoper ensemble, will share her extensive musical knowledge and experience in opera and lieder with the young singers of the Opera Studio.

Song recital – Christa Mayer & Junges Ensemble

Aktenzeichen: 40 Jahre Wiedereröffnung der Semperoper

The young geisha Cio-Cio-San, known as »Butterfly«, forms the emotional heart of Giacomo Puccini’s tragedia giapponese, set in Nagasaki at the beginning of the 20th century. The US-American naval lieutenant Pinkerton marries Cio-Cio-San, intending to divorce her shortly after, a fairly common practice in Japan at the time. He rents a suitable cottage for his stay in the city. For Pinkerton the liaison is just an erotic flirtation. Cio-Cio-San, on the other hand, sees the American not merely as a means to escaping poverty, but as the love of her life ... First performed at Milan’s La Scala in 1904, »Madama Butterfly« still touches our hearts today. We are shaken by the realism with which Puccini depicts the cultural misunderstandings and deadly consequences of this tragic love story. Together with star designer Kenzo Takada, Japanese director Amon Miyamoto offers a unique oriental perspective on this Japanese-American liaison.

Madama Butterfly

The young musicians of the Giuseppe Sinopoli Academy are taking the two significant anniversaries in the history of Dresden and the Semperoper, namely the 80th anniversary of the city’s destruction and the 40th anniversary of the reconstruction of the opera...

Chamber music concert of the Giuseppe Sinopoli Academy

Once the best marksman in the world, Max is on a losing streak. A single shot will determine his betrothal to Agathe – a much too important matter to leave to chance. At midnight in the Wolf’s Glen, Max, aided by the evil Casper, casts seven magic bullets which never miss their target, thus sealing a pact with the devil. Following the work’s premiere in 1821, Carl Maria von Weber proclaimed: »I’ve hit the hit the bullseye«. Soon »Der Freischütz« became regarded as the romantic German opera par excellence. Weber’s music reproduces the beauty of the German forest as well as its nighttime eeriness to create an atmosphere of uncertainty, doubt and fear. In his production, director Axel Köhler not only describes the fate of a young man driven to extremes by a fear of failure, but also paints the image of a society which, having lost its bearings, seeks stability in ritual and hierarchy.

Der Freischütz

Once the best marksman in the world, Max is on a losing streak. A single shot will determine his betrothal to Agathe – a much too important matter to leave to chance. At midnight in the Wolf’s Glen, Max, aided by the evil Casper, casts seven magic bullets which never miss their target, thus sealing a pact with the devil. Following the work’s premiere in 1821, Carl Maria von Weber proclaimed: »I’ve hit the hit the bullseye«. Soon »Der Freischütz« became regarded as the romantic German opera par excellence. Weber’s music reproduces the beauty of the German forest as well as its nighttime eeriness to create an atmosphere of uncertainty, doubt and fear. In his production, director Axel Köhler not only describes the fate of a young man driven to extremes by a fear of failure, but also paints the image of a society which, having lost its bearings, seeks stability in ritual and hierarchy. 

Der Freischütz Carl Maria von Weber

A milestone birthday is a reason to celebrate, and so in 2025 we are commemorating the 40th anniversary of the reopening of the Semperoper with various events, including a matinée concert at which you can enjoy well-known and less familiar pieces from the musical history of Dresden’s opera house.

 Semper Matinée – 40th birthday celebrations

Axel Ranisch, Ragna Schirmer and Matthias Daneck are presenting a very special evening at which they explore the question of whether the GDR had its own unique sound. How political are musical compositions? What picture is painted by the poetry of the GDR? What were the ideals of its artists? What kind of future do they portray? Pianist Ragna Schirmer, percussionist Matthias Daneck and actor, director and author Axel Ranisch illuminate four decades of GDR history in words and music, revealing contradictions between artists of the avant-garde and those aligned with the communist system. They view the music and poetry of this age between two poles, namely criticism of and loyalty to the regime. In addition to well-known figures such as Paul Dessau, Friedrich Goldmann, Bertolt Brecht, Thomas Brasch, Sarah Kirsch and Eva Strittmatter, the three artists also take a look at less familiar names. The selection of works juxtaposes the private and the political, the personal and the partisan. A journey through the years 1949 to 1990, which, against the backdrop of our modern global tensions, also has a truly contemporary relevance.

Semper Bar – VolkseigenTon

Der Wiederaufbau der Semperoper wurde zwischen 24.06.1977, also von der Grundsteinlegung bis zur Wiedereröffnung des Opernhauses am 13.02.1985 vom Team des Betriebsfilmstudios „Club 16“ des VEBs Strömungsmaschinen Pirna, dem späteren Pirnaer Film- und Videoclub e.V. filmisch begleitet. In 8 Jahren entstanden ca. 5000 Meter belichtetes Filmmaterial. Die Essenz daraus findet sich in der ca. einstündigen Filmdokumentation „Semperoper – Bilder einer Chronik“, die einen Einblick in die Schaffenszeit von Stuckateuren, Maler und Bauarbeiter gibt. Ehemalige Mitglieder des Pirnaer Filmclubs werden bei der Vorführung anwesend sein und im Anschluss im Publikumsgespräch aus der Entstehungszeit des Films berichten

Semper Bar – Filmvorführung & Publikumsgespräch

The concerts that Günter Baby Sommer and Matthias Creutziger invent and discover for the series »A window on Jazz« are, quite literally, »unique«. They offer insights and aural adventures, exciting encounters and experiences that will captivate jazz greenhorns, reverberating in their memories long after. Till Brönner, Joe Sachse, Ulrich Gumpert, Christoph Hein and, of course, Baby Sommer himself are among the artists who have already opened windows and turned heads.

A Window on Jazz: Im Zeichen des Regenbogens

What would a child’s room say if it could talk? A boy goes on the rampage because he doesn’t want to do his homework; his mother, of course, blows her top. When the child vandalises his room and even torments his beloved cat, things take a surprising turn: suddenly, the mistreated furniture, cups, books and animals start to speak! And the child finds himself in a world in which he is forced to think about others.

Das Kind und der Zauberspuk / L’enfant et les sortilèges

Many children have a "dress-up box" at home or a place in the closet for costumes. There is hardly anything more fun than hiding behind a mask or using a costume to transform yourself into a completely different person or character. But regardless of whether it is a mask or a costume, the question immediately arises as to what or who is hiding behind or in it. And that is exactly what many composers were interested in. That is why they have hidden things in their music and staged a real masquerade with their music. And we want to lift these masks! Anyone who would like to come to this concert, which takes place shortly before the carnival, wearing a mask or in costume, is warmly invited to do so!

Band for Kids: »Masquerade«

Connecting man and nature is the idea that unites the works in this concert. Mahler's musical settings of the poems from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" refracted life and nature through a melancholic lens. They capture folk tunes and paint a picture of the world in which the human experience is closely interwoven with nature. Beethoven's Sixth is also more than just a direct musical representation of nature. The "Pastorale" does present idyllic landscapes, babbling brooks and cheerful village festivals. But Beethoven does not depict nature as a mere backdrop; he reflects the viewer's feelings, thus creating a unique connection between man and nature.

Special concert »Natur pur!« in the Kulturpalast

Meeting point: Stage entrance : Eventful Autumn

What better way to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Semperoper Ballett than with a tribute to the genius of Vaslav Nijinsky? His name and that of the Ballets Russes are closely associated with the history of dance in Dresden.

Nijinsky

A war injury forced the talented conductor André Caplet to give up his post as musical director at the Paris Opera. The musician, born in Le Havre in 1878, soon devoted himself solely to composition. As a student of Claude Debussy, he overcame the impressionism demanded by his teacher and moved closer to the avant-garde - for example, by composing for the modern concert harp. In 1919, Caplet wrote a "Fantastic Tale" for harp and string quartet, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Masque of the Red Death". The work musically captures the dark and ghostly atmosphere of the story and processes his own war expeiences.

4th Chamber Evening

The city of Tromaville (New Jersey) is becoming a disaster zone as it suffocates under the fumes from toxic waste, threatening the health of its inhabitants. And instead of cleaning up the mess, the local mayor, Babs Belgoody, is actually raking in kickbacks for allowing piles of the toxic goo to be stored all over the place–But help is at hand: none other than shy Melvin Ferd the Third, now mutated into a green super-hero after being doused in toxic waste, decides to rescue the town and, in the process, win the heart of blind librarian Sarah. This fast-paced, energetic rock musical by David Bryan (the keyboardist from »Bon Jovi«) and Joe DiPietro premiered in New York in 2009. In 2023 the Toxic Avenger will rock the stage of Semper Zwei in his fight for justice, tolerance and the protection of the environment, aided by brilliantly catchy songs, romantic ballads and lots of comedy.

The Toxic Avenger

Johann Strauss’s »Die Fledermaus« from 1874 is a masterpiece of Viennese operetta: In order to take revenge on his friend Eisenstein, Dr. Falke (alias Die Fledermaus) stages a game of mistaken identities at Prince Orlofsky’s ball, where the guests include a Marquis and a Chevalier, a Hungarian countess and budding artists. However, nobody is who they claim to be. The masquerade and trickery end with the entire group of partygoers in prison. When the masks finally fall and extramarital shenanigans come to light, Falke’s revenge is complete. This production by Günter Krämer has been delighting Semperoper audiences since 2003 with classic numbers such as the Watch Duet, the Czárdás or Adele’s »Mein Herr Marquis« as well as the witty dialogue, updated with some amusing contemporary references. With diamond-sharp irony amidst the champagne glasses, »Die Fledermaus« is a great evening’s entertainment… and not just at the New Year!

Die Fledermaus

Silvesterkonzert der Staatskapelle Dresden

In the run up to Christmas, the Semperoper ensemble and children’s choir will get us all in the festive mood with a programme of beautiful carols featuring old favourites and new discoveries.

Semper Soirée – Carols for the Advent season

Premiere teaser: Ändere die Welt! / Change the world!

In the fairytale forest, we encounter the familiar figures of the poor siblings who have lost their way as well as the Gingerbread Witch. The story comes to a head in the famous edible house, which is sweet on the outside but a death trap within. In 1893 Engelbert Humperdinck transformed the tale by the Brothers Grimm into a work which is probably the most famous fairy-tale opera in the repertoire.

Hansel and Gretel

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!

"Kleines Haus" (Staatsschauspiel Dresden)

How terrible must life be if you can’t laugh? Sergei Prokofiev’s opera The Love for Three Oranges is about a king who wishes to help his sick son. But only one thing can cure the malady of the heir to the throne: laughter. While the doctors are trying their luck, Truffaldino and Fata Morgana get into a fight, during which the latter is knocked over. When her mishap causes the Prince to laugh, she quickly places a curse on him: he is destined to fall in love with three oranges. The Prince and Truffaldino immediately set off on a hair-raising journey that finally takes them to a desert – a trip that can be seen as a balancing act between fantasy and reality. Here parody is tinged with tragedy and a touch of the grotesque.

it ungewohnten Besetzungen wartet dieser Kammerabend auf. Hindemiths Sonate für vier Hörner reizt die klanglichen Möglichkeiten des Hornquartetts aus, zumal der Komponist mit komplexen Harmonien und dichter Polyphonie die Klangfarbe des Instruments besonders betont. Das Horn gesellt sich auch zu einem Trio des Beethoven-Schülers Carl Czerny, das zeigt, dass der Komponist für mehr als nur geläufige pianistische Fingerübungen steht. Dvořáks F-Dur-Streichquartett ist das Parallelwerk zur Sinfonie »Aus der Neuen Welt«. Mehr noch als in dieser ungleich bekannteren Neunten verknüpft Dvořák in diesem Quartett Elemente aus Spiritual und amerikanischer Musik mit seiner unverkennbar böhmischen Melodik.

3. Kammerabend

Premiere teaser: The Love for Three Oranges

Der Nussknacker / The Nutcracker

Advance ticket sales will begin on September 10, 2024 at 10 a.m. via the ticket service of the Frauenkirche Dresden Foundation

ZDF Advent concert

Kay and Gerta's journey to the Snow Queen and into the depths of the human soul.

The Snow Queen

“Insights into the Historical Archives’ rolling-off system” – an exciting, moderated insight into historical images, program booklets, correspondence, press reports, and anecdotes.

Case number:Andersen's fairy tales

When Jacob finds a magical fish that can grant wishes, the demands on the magical animal soon take on threatening proportions...

Gold!

A story fizzing with irony and champagne, all danced to the sounds of the waltz.

The Semperoper's matinees and soirées invite you to explore musical worlds beyond the opera repertoire.

Semperoper Dresden

Aug 31 - Dec 12, 2025

La bohème

Nov 28 - Dec 25, 2025

The Nutcracker

Dec 7, 2025 - Jan 8, 2026

The Snow Queen

Oct 9, 2025 - Jan 12, 2026

Wonderful World

Aug 30, 2025 - Jul 4, 2026

The Magic Flute

Dec 1, 2025

Premiere teaser: The Snow Queen

Nov 30, 2025

Semper Bar – Introducing the Junge Ensemble

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Semperoper Dresden