Opera enthusiasts are in for a treat at Oper Köln, where an exciting array of performances is set to captivate audiences. From the intense jealousy of Orlando to the whimsical journey of The Bremen Town Musicians, and the dramatic tales of Nabucco and La Bohème, the season promises a vibrant exploration of human emotions and stories. This season also features unique interpretations, including a community-driven project, Superhero Normalos, and timeless classics like Carmen and Don Giovanni, offering a rich tapestry of artistic expression.

Captivating Opera Experiences at Oper Köln: A Season of Passion, Drama, and Innovation

Dive into the rich tapestry of performances set to grace the stage at Oper Köln in 2025, where timeless classics and innovative narratives offer a captivating journey through the intricacies of human nature and cultural discourse. From the vibrant streets of 1920s Cologne in 'De Kölsche Fledermaus' to the philosophical depths of 'Simone's Passion', each production promises not only a display of unparalleled artistry but a dialogue across time and space. Join us as we explore the creativity, emotion, and imagination that define these remarkable productions.

A Spectacle of Theatrical Elegance: Oper Köln’s 2025 Line-up

Oper Köln's 2025 season promises a captivating blend of drama, humor, and historical intrigue with performances spanning from the comedic 'De Kölsche Fledermaus' to the haunting 'The Last Days of Mankind.' Each event offers a unique perspective, brought to life by talented performers and innovative productions. Whether you're drawn to the timeless allure of 'Don Giovanni' or the modern exploration of identity in 'Superhero Normalos,' this season has something for every opera enthusiast.

A Journey Through Oper Köln's 2025 Season: From Carnival Comedy to Historical Drama

Oper Köln's 2025 calendar promises a thrilling lineup of performances that explore timeless themes through fresh perspectives. Spanning from legendary tales of passion and intrigue to contemporary narratives that resonate with today's audiences, the season features a diverse range of operas, from the classic 'Don Giovanni' and 'Carmen' to the innovative 'Superhero Normalos'. With a roster of talented performers and visionary directors, each event is set to captivate audiences at the Staatenhaus Köln in Germering, Germany.

Oper Köln's 2025 Season: A Diverse Ensemble of Stories and Sounds

Oper Köln is set to captivate audiences with a diverse lineup of performances this spring and summer. From timeless operatic tales like 'Don Giovanni' and 'Carmen' to innovative productions such as 'Superhero Normalos' and 'Simone's Passion', the program promises a rich tapestry of cultural and artistic experiences. With a blend of classic and contemporary pieces, Oper Köln offers a stage for exploring themes of identity, power, and societal norms, while showcasing remarkable talent from around the globe.

Oper Köln's Spring and Summer Theater Extravaganza: A Journey Through Music and Drama

Oper Köln takes audiences on a captivating journey through historical and dramatic narratives with its latest lineup. From gender role reversals in 'Eine Frau von Format,' to philosophical explorations in 'Simone's Passion,' a critique of war in 'The Last Days of Mankind,' and ancient power struggles in 'Julius Caesar in Egypt,' these performances offer a rich blend of intrigue, philosophy, and historical insights. Set against the backdrop of the Staatenhaus Köln, these operas promise a unique theatrical experience for all attendees.

Oper Köln's Complex Tapestry: A Celebration of Drama and History

In a tapestry of emotions and stories, Oper Köln brings forth a vibrant array of productions that delve into the profound depths of human experience. From community-driven initiatives like 'Superhero Normalos' to the philosophical musings in 'Simone's Passion', each event promises to captivate and resonate with audiences of all ages. With a rich blend of storytelling, music, and culture, these performances invite attendees to explore themes of identity, power, love, and the human condition.

Exploring Humanity Through Opera: A Journey at Oper Köln

Cologne Opera is set to be the epicenter of a rich tapestry of performances in 2026, showcasing a diverse array of operatic and theatrical works. From a homage to Konrad Adenauer with 'E Levve för Kölle' to the comedic intricacies in Mozart’s 'Le Nozze di Figaro,' each production promises to offer an unforgettable experience. Audiences can immerse themselves in the powerful narratives and innovative presentations that bridge historical themes with contemporary artistic expressions, while celebrating both the local and global essence of opera.

Diving into Cologne's Operatic Tapestry: A 2026 Odyssey

Oper Köln unfolds a vibrant tapestry of operatic events, blending classic masterpieces with innovative workshops. From the captivating narrative of 'Le Nozze di Figaro' to the participatory exploration of 'Turandot' and 'The Marriage of Figaro,' audiences are invited to engage with the depth and diversity of opera. With contributions from renowned artists, these events promise a profound cultural experience. Join us as we delve into the world of opera, exploring themes of love, power, and human nature through the rich offerings of Oper Köln.

A Kaleidoscope of Opera: Exploring the Events by Oper Köln

Today marks a joyous day at the castle. Finally, the wedding of Figaro and Susanna is set to take place, both of whom are in the service of Count Almaviva and are being supported by him. Everything seems perfect - and is, of course, only half the truth. In fact, the Count is after Susanna and tries to play his employees off against each other wherever possible. At the same time, he believes he must keep an eye on his lonely wife, as well as his pubescent nephew Cherubino, who continuously puts him in compromising situations. The longer the crazy day lasts, the less the Count seems to be master in his own house. Only when everyone unites against him are the rules of the game changed. But until that moment arrives, until Figaro and Susanna are finally wed, until the Count and Countess are reconciled, until a genuine plea for forgiveness for wrongful actions is spoken, the most beautiful and profound human comedy in opera unfolds: Mozart’s LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. Here, reason, intrigue, and emotional desire are perfectly balanced when it comes to bringing order to the emotional chaos that has always connected people. For his first Mozart libretto, the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte took on a brand-new and quite delicate drama in 1786, Beaumarchais' French comedy "La folle journée ou Le mariage de Figaro," a critical reflection of the conditions in the Ancien Régime. Mozart embraced the revolutionary idea, after all, he had just settled in Vienna as a free artist, and had a clear vision of how he wanted to live as a citizen in a still feudal world. Far more important, however, are the love and respect that his music shows to every single character on stage, as Mozart ensures that each and every one - whether young or old, privileged or less privileged - receives their due. Mozart's masterful ensemble piece conducted by General Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Katharina Thoma, already known in Cologne for DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN, directs this musical comedy that never goes out of style

Le Nozze di Figaro

Cologne Opera

Dream Team

"Oh, what one often has to hear or read about naughty children!" So begins the famous story by Wilhelm Busch about the naughty brothers Max and Moritz and their pranks. Against impudence and schadenfreude, there seems to be basically no remedy, as Wilhelm Busch already lamented, and in times of social media there are plenty of opportunities to harass others and to get attention for it. The Norwegian composer Gisle Kverndokk and librettist Øystein Wiik look with today's perspective and a great treasure trove of musical quotations on the old story and recount seven equally common and amusing pranks, with which Max and Moritz, in cartoon style, annoy the descendants of Widow Bolte, Teacher Lämpel and Tailor Böck. The last prank of the naughty boys is just one too many as today. But: He who laughs last, laughs loudest.

Max and Moritz

"E LEVVE FÖR KÖLLE," the divertissement for Konrad Adenauer's 150th birthday, is a matter close to the heart of the Cäcilia Wolkenburg stage ensemble of the Cologne Men's Choir. After all, the celebrant was an honorary member of the association and regularly sang his birthday hymns by "his KMGV." His son, Dr. Max Adenauer, served as KMGV president for 13 years; his grandson, Konrad Adenauer, is a member of the board of trustees. The choir will kick off the Adenauer Year 2026 with the musical accompaniment for the memorial service on January 4th in Cologne Cathedral, before the divertissement "E LEVVE FÖR KÖLLE" premieres on January 18th, 2026.

E Levve för Kölle (A Life for Cologne)

Sharon Eyal and her dance aesthetic have been triumphant on European stages for almost two decades. CORPS DE WALK is a piece from the time before the Israeli choreographer's major international breakthrough. Commissioned by the contemporary Norwegian dance company Carte Blanche, it premiered in 2011 and explores the dangerous eroticism of the masses. The dancers resemble androgynous-looking aliens in their beige bodysuits, white contact lenses, and identical hairstyles. These aliens move precisely in geometric marching formations, oscillating between robotic parades and ecstatic pagan fertility rites. Together with her partner and techno artist Gai Behar and DJ Ori Lichtik, Eyal parodies, not least, the large group scenes of classical ballet, contrasting them with a contemporary counterpart that seems to have come directly from the dance floor of a futuristic techno club. Fifteen years after its premiere, CORPS DE WALK is being revived by the Hessian State Ballet, the company whose director, Bruno Heynderickx – who held the same position at Carte Blanche at the time – originally commissioned Sharon Eyal to create the piece. Sharon Eyal danced with the Batsheva Dance Company from 1990 to 2008, where she choreographed her first pieces. From 2003 to 2004, she served as the company's Associate Artistic Director and as resident choreographer until 2012. In 2009, Eyal began working internationally for other companies. Together with her long-time artistic partner Gai Behar and Ori Lichtik, she founded her own ensemble, LEV, in 2013. From 1999 to 2005, Gai Behar produced live music and underground events in Israel, combined with large-scale techno raves. Since its founding, the company has performed on all major stages and dance festivals. Sharon Eyal has received numerous awards, including the prestigious "Fedora Prize" and the "Der Faust" theater prize.

Body of Walk

"Take me to the ball!" pleads Cinderella Angelina. However, her wish meets with rejection by her stepfather Don Magnifico and the selfish stepsisters Instead, she is treated like a maid, while the spoiled amily dreams of wealth - although everything is on the brink of ruin. But behind this false world lies a more beautiful one: A prince awaits Angelina and true values ​​triumph over false appearances. In the end, justice prevails: Angelina forgives her family and becomes not only a princess but also as a wise-hearted regent. In LA CENERENTOLA, Gioacchino Rossini combines virtuosic bel canto with the dream of a fairer world. Cecilia Ligorio's enthusiastically received production from the year 2022 returns to the schedule, under the musical direction by Matteo Beltrami.

La Cenerentola

The Red Cross Benefit Matinee, with its captivating program and popular raffle, is an annual crowd-puller. The approximately two-hour concert is themed around the upcoming Christmas holidays and is presented voluntarily by members of the opera ensemble – from soloists to the opera choir.

DRK Gala

“Sing Hallelujah!” is the annual motto at Oper Köln during Advent, when the traditional Kölner Jugendchor St. Stephan takes to the stage and gets everyone in the Christmas spirit. The family and Christmas concert has become a special highlight of the pre-Christmas season in Cologne and inspires audiences of all ages. With around 80 members, under the direction of Michael Kokott, the choir is one of the largest and most successful youth choirs in Germany. The varied repertoire of the choir ranges from gospel, pop, comedy and Cologne favorites to classical music and jazz. And that is reflected in the “Sing Hallelujah!” programs! The young singers have German, international and Cologne Christmas carols up their sleeves and create a festive atmosphere for young and old alike.

"Sing Hallelujah!"

Theaterworkshop Cinderella

A colorful gingerbread house in the middle of the forest, in which two hungry children seek refuge. But there lives an evil witch with gruesome baking recipes. Engelbert Humperdinck's most famous opera is full of contrasts, both on stage and in the music. It combines traditional children's songs with Wagnerian orchestral sound, creating a magical soundscape that captivates both young and adult audiences alike. The fairy-tale opera, in which the siblings successfully overcome danger together, returns to the stage in the 2005 production by Jürgen Rose. It is conducted by the new Cologne General Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

Hansel and Gretel

Envy and hatred reign in Saul's heart. For he perceives in David a rival for the throne: After David's victory over the giant Goliath, King Saul finds himself compelled to welcome David into his house and to honour him as a hero. When his son Jonathan and his daughter Michal side with David, and eventually even his daughter Merab acknowledges the universally celebrated hero, Saul finally decides to remove David from his path. However, David enjoys divine protection. Instead, it is Saul whose star threatens to set. With SAUL, George Frideric Handel turned to a biblical subject from the Old Testament. The subject matter was certainly controversial, as around twenty years before Handel’s arrival in London, Parliament, during the “Glorious Revolution” of 1689, had offered the British crown to William III of Orange and Mary II in order to put an end to the rule of the absolutist King James II. Georg Friedrich Handel had so far achieved one box office hit after another in London, primarily with his serious operas. However, the audience gradually seemed to be tiring of Italian opera. Thus, Händel set out in search of new paths in musical theatre. The genre of the oratorio, which he had become acquainted with during his time in Rome from 1706 to 1709, seemed suitable for this purpose. And indeed, the premiere of SAUL on 16 January 1739 at the Haymarket Theatre in London was a success, not least due to the gigantic choral numbers and the English national language in which it was sung. That SAUL is also dramatic, stage-effective musical theatre is demonstrated by the numerous musical effects with which Handel brings the story of the tormented King Saul to life. From triumphal choruses to whispers of witches to the funeral march that is still played today at state funerals worldwide. The acclaimed production from the Glyndebourne Festival, in Barrie Kosky’s opulent and profound direction, presents the Old Testament fable of envy and resentment set in London during the Georgian era, when indulgence and misery, popular entertainment and humiliation existed side by side. At the podium of the Gürzenich Orchestra stands Rubén Dubrovsky, who has already demonstrated his flair for Baroque music in Cologne with GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO and ORLANDO.

Saul

In our WHOOSH, you slip into the roles of the opera characters and reenact the plot of an opera in 30 minutes. This activity is aimed at all family members and takes place approximately 60 minutes before the performance.

Introduction for families: WHOOSH

The festival of beautiful voices

Whirring, shimmering, sailing, sliding. Swinging, hovering, gliding, blowing. Or plop? Gravity is a fascinating phenomenon for children under three, one that begs to be explored and understood. "Everything That Flies," a 30-minute miniature opera, explores this topic from a new perspective. How long does a sound fly through the air? When does it feel as heavy as a ton and when as light as a feather?

Everything that flies

From a deep E-flat major chord, time and space are lifted, and on the waves of the Rhine, a world unfolds with gods, dwarves, giants and creatures of nature. However, the paradisiacal primordial state does not last long: After the Nibelung Alberich is spurned by the Rhinemaidens, he decides to renounce love forever and seize the gold from the depths of the Rhine. From this, he now forges a ring that grants him world power. But the father of the gods, Wotan, also wants to possess the ring. With the help of the fire god Loge, he actually succeeds in stealing the ring from Alberich. However, Alberich curses the ring: Misfortune shall befall its owner - a prophecy that will soon be fulfilled for the first, but not the last time. Richard Wagner created with DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN a parable about the origin and end of the world and realised his radical idea of a total work of art, in which text, music and stage action form a symbiosis. Wagner's endless melody and his leitmotif technique, which he had already developed in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER and LOHENGRIN, reach an as yet unprecedented complexity in THE RING. With the creation of the RING tetralogy, Wagner also solidified the plan for his own festival theatre as a venue. At the request of his patron King Ludwig II, the premiere of RHEINGOLD took place on 22 September 1869 at the National Theatre of Munich. The audience, which was largely composed of professionals and art connoisseurs who had travelled from afar, expressed enthusiastic applause. Wagner's vision of performing the entire DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN  in his own festival theatre finally became a reality in 1876 in Bayreuth. Director Paul-Georg Dittrich, who has already introduced himself to Cologne with his production of DER ZWERG, will stage a new RING. In RHEINGOLD, he embarks on a search for the childlike origin of the world. What happens when free, yet unencumbered imagination is instrumentalised in a power-obsessed society? The musical direction is under the internationally sought-after conductor Marc Albrecht, who returns to the podium of the Gürzenich Orchestra after DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN.

The Rhinegold

Professor Beelzebub Irrwitzer is a dreadful sorcerer and poisoner, who takes pleasure in causing a lot of destruction in nature. But his devilish client is not at all satisfied with him this year, far too few Evil deeds, finds Maledictus Made, the devilish messenger. Therefore, at midnight, Irrwitzer's time will run out, unless he quickly manages to secure a few more disasters in the world. Now only the satan-archaeo-lying-alcoholic Wish Punch can help him, which at the stroke of midnight turns all good wishes into their opposite. However, Irrwitzer only has half of the parcel containing the recipe; the other half is with his aunt, Tyrannja Vamperl, who happens to be visiting. She has exactly the same problem, and so both are now brewing the highly dangerous Wish Punch. Fortunately, Tomcat Maurizio and Crow Krista recognizes the danger and they jointly take up the fight against the two villains, even though they initially do not like each other at all. But time is running out and the task is difficult...

The Wishing Punch

This event format invites opera novices, professionals, and anyone interested to try their hand at acting based on Giacomo Puccini's work "Manon Lescaut" and find a playful, aesthetic approach to the plot, the music, the characters, and their relationships. Music theater educators from the Cologne Opera will lead the workshop with light steps and plenty of joy. Together, they will create a space for improvisation, stage acting, discussion, and reflection. Immediately following, those interested can join a 30-minute guided tour of the Central Library. A group performance in the evening rounds out the project and is included in the ticket price.

Spurensuche Oper: Manon Lescaut

Interim Central Library on Hohe Straße

In BEETHOVEN 7, Sasha Waltz and an ensemble of 13 dancers will be devoting themselves to Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major (op. 92). This remarkable piece of music, composed in 1812 towards the end of the composer's life, when he was already going deaf, resonates with questions of his time that still play a role for us today: the failure of a revolution, the (forced) return to old traditions, the friction between the desire for social transformation and restoration and the associated loss of freedom and future prospects. To the live electronic sounds of Diego Noguera, entitled FREIHEIT/EXTASIS, which were created during the creative process, Sasha Waltz takes up these themes at the beginning of the evening and reinterprets them from a contemporary perspective: How do personal freedom and social constraints relate to one another? Sasha Waltz studied dance and choreography in Amsterdam and New York. Together with Jochen Sandig, she founded ‘Sasha Waltz & Guests’ in 1993 and co-founded the ‘Sophiensæle’ in Berlin in 1996. From 1999 to 2004, she was part of the artistic direction of the Schaubühne Berlin, where, among other things, she created her BODY trilogy with her dance company. In 2004, the choreographer went independent and has since produced numerous choreographic works. Sasha Waltz has received numerous awards for her work, including the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2011 and the ‘Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ in 2021. She has been a member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, since June 2013. In 2024, Sasha Waltz will be awarded the German Dance Prize. The company has been a regular guest in Cologne since 2011 and is well known to Cologne's dance audience for works such as KÖRPER, LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS, KREATUR, IN C and most recently SPIEGELNEURONEN.

A produktion by Sasha Waltz & Guests

Family workshop: In the forest with Beelzebub Irrwitzer

Stadtwald

A scandalous novel by Abbé Prévost from 18th century Paris tells of the "amour fou" between the young noble Chevalier Des Grieux and the bourgeois girl Manon Lescaut. Both violate morality and law in the name of love and become the most famous couple of their era. Manon is torn between a passionate love and her desire for a life of wealth and security. On the way to the convent, she is matched with a wealthy man by her brother but elopes with her lover. In the house of the wealthy Geronte, to which she returns, she is regarded merely as an attraction, yet choosing the loving Des Grieux and leaving everything behind proves difficult for her. During an escape attempt, she is arrested as a thief and sentenced to exile in the American colonies. Des Grieux, who attempts in vain to save her, follows her into exile, where their shared path ultimately ends in the desert. A tragic love story where love finds no place to unfold. The year 1893 marks a turning point for Italian opera: the 80-year-old Giuseppe Verdi retires from the stage with his last opera FALSTAFF. At the same time, there is no longer any doubt as to who will be his successor: with MANON LESCAUT, Giacomo Puccini experiences his first global success and creates a new Italian opera that reflects the spirit of the age: the emotions are intense and torn, the forms are free, the acts follow one another episodically and obey only the laws of passion. Puccini pays homage to the 18th century in the score, yet the fascination that Richard Wagner's music had on him is particularly felt with particular compulsion in this opera. Richness of colour, dramatic expressiveness, and emotive cantilenas make MANON LESCAUT a very special Italian opera work, with the most demanding tenor role Puccini ever wrote. The new General Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada opens his first season at the podium of the Gürzenich Orchestra with this premiere. Carlos Wagner, a director of international standing, makes his debut in Cologne with MANON LESCAUT.

Manon Lescaut

Theaterworkshop Manon Lescaut

How does opera actually work? How are effects created on stage? And what's it like backstage? On September 21st, we'll be celebrating the Theaterfest and opening all the doors of the Staatenhaus. Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., performances, concerts, a sing-along choir, tours, prop shows, costume sales, and much more are on the program.

Theater Festival

Fleeing from a snake, Prince Tamino enters the realm of the Queen of the night. Three ladies rescue him and are fascinated by him. As the bird catcher Papageno claims to have defeated the serpent, they punish his boasting and put a lock on his mouth. Tamino receives a picture of Pamina, the abducted daughter of the Queen, immediately falls in love with her and vows to rescue her. With a magic flute and a set of bells, Tamino and Papageno set off and face all dangers.

The Magic Flute

Power, love and intrigue prevail in ancient Egypt, as no fewer than three ruling houses are entangled in the country’s political turmoil: following the defeat of Giulio Cesare, his adversary Pompeo has fled to Egypt with his wife Cornelia and his son Sesto. However, King Tolomeo has Pompeo murdered immediately in order to hand Pompeo’s head to Cesare on his arrival. However, the “gift” misses its mark: Cesare is dismayed by so much malice. Cornelia and Sesto swear revenge on Tolomeo. Cleopatra, Tolomeo’s sister, also tries to win favour with Cesare. Tolomeo’s power threatens to crumble and the battle for the throne unfolds...

EPSG:4326

Julius Caesar in Egypt

Staatenhaus Köln

An heir to the throne is murdered. Shortly afterwards, the world is in flames, the “last days of mankind” have begun. Over 100 years ago, the Austrian writer Karl Kraus documented the developments of the First World War and transformed them into a megalomaniac drama for a “Martian theatre”: “Theatre-goers of this world will not be able to withstand it”, he prophesied. How the world can suddenly slide into war is something Karl Kraus tries to capture in the 220 scenes of his monumental tragedy, along with the interaction of propaganda, media, religion, education and corporate greed that fuels the global conflagration. Street conversations, newspaper reports, advertising posters, slogans and discussions are unleashed by Kraus as satirical bullets.

The Last Days of Mankind

Astor Piazzolla was the king of Argentinian tango nuevo. From the 1950s onwards, he combined the old tango from the bars and streets of Buenos Aires with influences from classical and modern music, jazz and pop, adding sharp rhythms, unusual sound combinations and striking chords to create entirely new forms of expression that go far beyond the boundaries of pure dance music. The focus was always on the special character of the bandoneon, originally an instrument from the Rhineland, which only really became famous through Piazzolla’s tangos.

María de Buenos Aires

How far would you go for your ideals? The French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil spent her brief 34 years of life constantly pushing her personal limits. A strong will that was constantly subjected to failure. Born in 1909 into an upper middle-class Jewish family in France, Simone Weil first studied philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris - as the only woman alongside Simone de Beauvoir - and then worked as a teacher. However, she soon quit her job to work as a labourer in an electrical factory and experience the living conditions of the working class first-hand. But physically she was unable to take the strain. Her endeavours to fight on the side of the Republic in the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and to travel from England to France to fight against the Germans in 1942 also failed. Out of solidarity with the victims of the Second World War, Simone Weil finally rejected all food and died of hunger and heart failure in 1943. With “La passion de Simone”, the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who died in 2023, has erected a monument to her. The result is one of Saariaho’s most personal works. She herself described “La passion de Simone” as her musical testament. This is now the third collaboration with the French-Lebanese author Amin Maalouf, which began with “L’amour de loin”. The cooperation with the American opera director Peter Sellars, who staged the world premiere of “La passion de Simone” in November 2006 as part of his New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna, has also left its mark on this work. The oratorio for solo soprano, choir and orchestra consists of 15 stations that illuminate Simone Weil’s life and thoughts. The music features Saariaho’s typical impressionistic soundscapes, sometimes dramatically intensified by surprising bursts of percussion. During her lifetime, Saariaho herself argued in favour of performing the work scenically. “La passion de Simone” is now being shown at Oper Köln in cooperation with the Kölner Philharmonie’s “Acht Brücken” festival. The production is to be directed by the newcomer Friederike Blum, who received the Götz Friedrich Prize from Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2023 for her work “Tri Sestry” at the Hagen Theatre. Together with the stage and costume designer Lisa Kruse, she explores the spirit of Simone Weil and invites us to immerse ourselves in her life and thoughts. Christian Karlsen, a specialist in contemporary music theatre and artistic director at the Kaija Saariaho Festival in The Hague, has been engaged to conduct.

Simone's Passion

The Principality of Silistria is highly coveted. Two European countries are vying for a trade agreement: Hungary and Turkey. But Silistria only wants to choose one partner. While the Hungarian ambassador Count Géza von Tököli is already courting the favour of the Silistrian Princess Petra, everyone is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Turkish ambassador. The latter’s appearance ultimately exceeds all expectations because, as it turns out, Turkey’s diplomat is a woman: Dschilli Bey! Gender clichés and cultural prejudices are now turned upside down and thoroughly shaken up. A competitive struggle full of intrigue, mistaken identities and surprising twists and turns ensues. Who comes out on top? See for yourself!

Eine Frau von Format

Eine junge Frau, die von ihrem Bruder mit dessen Freund verheiratet wird, greift zum Messer, als der Bräutigam sich ihr in der Hochzeitsnacht nähern will. Im blutigen Nachthemd erscheint sie unter den Hochzeitsgästen – und rührt deren Herzen: Sie vermittelt dabei den alle ergreifenden Eindruck, die Stimme des größten Feindes ihres Bruders zu hören, den sie zu lieben scheint, und glaubt – offenbar dem Wahnsinn verfallen – nun Hochzeit mit ihm zu feiern.

Lucy of Lammermoor

“Superheldennormalos” is the first community opera to be staged at the Kinderoper Köln. Around 100 children and young people between the ages of ten and eighteen, from, among other things, the ENBE youth centre, Holweide comprehensive school, Helios comprehensive school and Katharina-Henoth comprehensive school, developed the production in various workshops under professional artistic and educational guidance. Starting with the development of the theme and the writing of the libretto to the composition of the music and the creation of the stage and costume design, the “baton” was passed from one workshop group to the next. Finally, children and young people from the Dellbrücker Mauspfad comprehensive school, the Willy Brandt comprehensive school and the Kölner Domchor will also perform on stage alongside the singers of Oper Köln’s International Opera Studio and, accompanied by the Gürzenich Orchestra, will work on the opera with a professional production team. The result is “Superheldennormalos” – an opera about the search for identity, about the fears, wishes and dreams of children and young people, which adults are also likely to relate to. Tamina is out of her depth. At home, she has to babysit her siblings, maintain calm and keep on top of the ever-growing chaos. Though all she wants to do is write, retreat into her own four walls and give free rein to her creativity ... Max struggles every week at football training, where he is regularly picked on by the coach and his team-mates. Nevertheless, Max has a dream: he wants to become a designer and hold his own fashion show. Sammy longs to just be a child again, to feel safe, to dream. She is being drawn deeper and deeper into the pit of depression. Yet all she wants is for everything to be the way it used to be. Wisi spends most of her day looking after other people. And there’s so much to do. There’s the grandma she has to help across the road, the dog that has run away. And then there are Tamina, Max and Sammy, to whom she would like to be more of a friend. Because Wisi has a special gift: she can read people’s feelings. However, at the superhero workshop she learns an important lesson about herself. To direct this special project, which is produced in cooperation with the COMEDIA Theatre Cologne and the Rheinische Musikschule Köln, we have been able to recruit Manuel Moser, who has been head of the department of theatre for young audiences at COMEDIA since 2019. The general musical direction is in the hands of Rainer Mühlbach, director of the International Opera Studio since 2012/13 and musical director of the Kinderoper Köln. A production of the Kinderoper Köln in cooperation with the COMEDIA Theatre and the Rheinische Musikschule Köln.

Superhero Normalos

Carmen is independent and won’t let anyone take her freedom. She makes her own decisions - nobody else! Carmen loves life. She lives entirely in the present, not in the past or the future. Carmen’s love has wings: when she loves someone, it is for precisely that moment and not for all eternity - her interest might turn to someone else the very next moment. Carmen quarrels and fights, she doesn’t shy away from the criminal milieu either, because property or standards of any kind don’t exist for her.

Carmen

He is probably the most famous playboy of all time: Don Giovanni. According to his servant Leporello, he has seduced 1,003 women in Spain alone. But who is Don Giovanni really? “Chi son io tu non saprai”, seems to be his answer to Donna Anna at the start of the opera, after he has tried to win her over by force. “You’ll never know who I am.” Indeed, his character defies any precise definition; he always remains changeable and unpredictable. Because Don Giovanni is a character without any consciousness. He is the principle that raises human questions about good and evil, desire and duty, transgression and punishment.

Don Giovanni

Cologne on a carnival Sunday in the golden age of the 1920s. After a wild carnival party on the "Schäl Sick", a man is left hungover and in a bat costume. He is the current carnival prince - the victim of a joke by a friend from Düsseldorf. To make matters worse, someone has leaked an unflattering photograph of the bat to a gossip magazine and so the Cologne public - and his fiancée - find out about the prince's escapades and the festival committee immediately strips him of his carnival honors. This calls for revenge. The dethroned prince joins forces with some ladies from Cologne society and hatches a plan. In extravagant apartments, on the street, in a nightclub, on the banks of the Rhine and in the legendary Klingelpütz prison, a fast-paced story of mistaken identities unfolds, full of situational comedy, wordplay and lots of music. With the typical Cologne divertissement, the Cäcilia Wolkenburg offers a “world premiere” of a genuine Cologne musical every year. With catchy music, specially arranged choral pieces, new ballet choreographies and the full enthusiasm of the ensemble of around one hundred players, each divertissement promises the best entertainment. For the anniversary of Cäcilia Wolkenburg in 2024, the audience and the press were full of praise: "storms of applause" (KStA, January 15, 2024), "spectacular" (Kölnische Rundschau January 14, 2024), "great cinema" (Express, January 15, 2024). In 2025, "et Zillche" will show a new version of "Die Fledermaus" and bring - as always with a good dose of humor and in Rhenish dialect - a very unique version of the operetta classic by Johann Strauss (son) to the stage.

De Kölsche Fledermaus

»Le Sacre du Printemps« übt seit der skandalumwitterten Uraufführung von Nijinsky im Jahre 1913 in Paris eine unwiderstehliche Anziehungskraft auf die unterschiedlichsten Choreograf*innen aus. An den Bühnen Köln sind in dieser Spielzeit zwei ganz aktuelle Interpretationen zu sehen. Im Depot werden wir die Südafrikanerin Dada Masilo mit ihrer Version präsentieren und im StaatenHaus den Flamencotänzer Israel Galván.

Ihsane

Grand Theatre of Geneva

Four young, self-proclaimed artists – Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard and Colline - enjoy a carefree life in their Parisian garret. Although none of them are getting anywhere with their art, their creativity knows no bounds when it comes to mastering everyday life. Until one day when the neighbour Mimì knocks on their door and brings something completely new into their lives: love, honesty, responsibility. Rodolfo falls in love with Mimì; however, they do not stay together for long, as life moves on. Yet Mimì is terminally ill and cannot simply slip out of Rodolfo’s life again. “La Bohème” captures the entire fullness of life, comedy as well as tragedy, and is a declaration of love to the vibrant city of Paris.

La Bohème

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II is a biblical parable of hubris, punishment and catharsis. After all, would we still know his name if he had not made a major appearance in the Third Book of Daniel in the Old Testament? In a speech there, he tells of how, in accordance with a prophecy, he descended into madness, was cast out and lived like an animal. Only the revelation of “God of heaven” brought him back to human society.

Nabucco

"Yaparız biz herşeyi! Together and united we are strong!" the four animals sing and set off for Bremen to find happiness there. They are underdogs, outcasts and individualists: The donkey left his owner standing there when he called him stupid. the dog was disowned by his mistress because he always broke everything when playing. The cat refused to catch mice and was put out on the street. The rooster never managed to control his emotional outbursts and so he was thrown out as a troublemaker. But now they form an unbeatable team that wants to make music together and become famous – "Un pour tous, tous pour un! One for all, all for one!" the four musketeers set off on a journey to the place of their longing. Of course, numerous obstacles appear along the way, and there are also disputes among themselves. This extraordinary children's opera tells how the four idiosyncratic characters learn to overcome their conflicts and their fears.

The Bremen Town Musicians

Orlando is obsessively in love with Angelica and tries with all his might to win her over. This causes the wizard Zoroastro concern, as Orlando is neglecting his duty as a warrior. When Orlando finds out that Angelica is in love with the soldier Medoro instead of him, he goes mad with jealousy, hallucinates a descent into the underworld and resolves to destroy everything and everyone. Will Zoroastro achieve his goal and get Orlando back onto the “right path”?

Orlando

Fast, Furious & Serious

There is probably no other work in the history of music that so joyfully praises the creation of something new, celebrates the surmounting of something old and past, and awakens curiosity for unimagined discoveries and experiences: with his groundbreaking oratorio “Die Schöpfung” (“The Creation”), Joseph Haydn created a song of praise for the creation of the world. Joseph Haydn started work on “Die Schöpfung” after resigning from his position as Hofkapellmeister (court music director) to Prince Esterházy. During his stays in London, he attended performances of George Frideric Handel’s oratorios, where hundreds of singers thrilled audiences of all social classes with their choral singing in the language of the country. Fascinated by their radiance, Haydn resolved to compose something similar in his homeland. As inspiration, Haydn chose John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and Genesis from the Bible. By his own account, the composition was a profoundly religious experience for Haydn - deeply rooted in Catholicism as he was. The public premiere was staged with great success on 19 March 1799 in the old Burgtheater in Vienna. The work caused a sensation like few others before it and it became the greatest triumph of Haydn’s career. In a period when the Napoleonic Wars were raging in Europe, the “Schöpfung” also stood for the vision of the new humanism, as a musical allegory for the Age of Enlightenment. At the same time, hardly any other work demonstrates so clearly how the world view has changed over the past 200 years. Where does humanity stand today? Who decides on the categories of good and evil, on the role of men and women? Who writes the story and how does the story go on? The British director Melly Still, who is making her German debut at Oper Köln, casts a modern and critical eye on the creation myth and shifts the process of storytelling into the foreground in a way that is visually very powerful.

The Creation

The opera “Nils Karlsson Däumling”, based on the children’s book by Astrid Lindgren, tells the story of a little boy called Bertil who has to spend a great deal of time alone at home. In his loneliness, he tries to while away the time. All of a sudden, he hears a soft knocking. Right beside him, in a mouse hole, lives a little thumbling who is as old as Bertil, but only as big as a thumb. Nisse, as the thumbling is called, lets Bertil in on a secret: if he sings a magic spell, he will become just as tiny as he is. No sooner said than done. Bertil and Nisse become friends, and as Nisse is hungry and freezing, Bertil has some wonderful ideas about how he can help him make a cosy home in the mouse hole... This little opera for everyone aged three and up translates the two different spheres – the world of humans and the miniature world of the thumbling – into a composition for soprano and violin. The violin embodies the magical being. The finely arranged mini-opera enables the children watching to actively participate in the plot through song and play. For the first time, the Kinderoper Köln is also using this mobile opera to visit inclusive and fully residential facilities for children with and without disabilities, with special social difficulties as well as intergenerational groups of children and people with dementia. A supporting workshop programme, where the participants themselves are musically and playfully active, supplements the offer for all young and older people who are unable to attend a children’s opera performance in the opera house.

Nils Karlsson Däumling

Disaster looms over the ruling house of Mycenae. Since Agamemnon was killed by his wife Klytaemnestra, ever new sacrifices have been made. But peace does not return, especially not for the children. Orest has gone missing, Chrysothemis wants a family of her own, but Elektra pursues only one thought: revenge for her father. “The times are strange”, wrote the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal around 1900, “and they have strange children: us!” He observes “people who were fractured”, who had lost their unity. With irrationality, delusion and “mysteriously aroused nature”, the writer poetically describes what Sigmund Freud was soon to describe psychoanalytically as a sign of the times.

Elektra

This event format invites opera novices, professionals, and anyone interested to try their hand at acting based on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Le Marriage of Figaro" and to find a playful, aesthetic approach to the plot, the music, the characters, and their relationships. Music theater educators from the Cologne Opera will lead the workshop with light steps and plenty of joy. Together, they will create a space for improvisation, stage acting, discussion, and reflection. Immediately following, those interested can join a 30-minute guided tour of the Central Library. A group performance in the evening rounds out the project and is included in the ticket price.

Searching for Opera Traces: The Marriage of Figaro

This event format invites opera novices, professionals, and anyone interested to try their hand at acting based on Giacomo Puccini's "Turandot" and find a playful, aesthetic approach to the plot, the music, the characters, and their relationships. Music theater educators from the Cologne Opera will lead the workshop with light steps and plenty of joy. Together, they will create a space for improvisation, stage acting, discussion, and reflection. Immediately following, those interested can join a 30-minute guided tour of the Central Library. A group performance in the evening rounds out the project and is included in the ticket price.

Searching for clues Opera: Turandot

Storm and thunder, unbridled passion, incest and divine wrath - all of this is already brewing in the first bars of the orchestral prelude to DIE WALKÜRE and gives a hint of what is to follow. In DIE WALKÜRE, the first day of the stage festival play DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN, Wagner focuses on the generation of Wotan's descendants: On the sibling pair Siegmund and Sieglinde, who, after many years of separation, meet fatefully and fall in love with each other. And on the Valkyries, Brünnhilde and her eight sisters, whose task it is to bring the heroes fallen in battle to Valhalla. When Wotan's wife Fricka learns of the incestuous relationship between Siegmund and Sieglinde, she demands that Wotan put an end to it. So Wotan orders his favourite daughter Brünnhilde to overthrow Siegmund in his battle against his rival Hunding. But Brünnhilde protects Siegmund against Wotan’s command. As punishment, Wotan puts Brünnhilde into a deep sleep and ignites a circle of fire around her, which only one without fear can pass through...

Die Walküre

Cultural Office Dance 2025

On some full moon nights, a sinister storm rages through the Wolf's Gorge. For here, in the middle of the forest, free bullets are cast. With the help of these special bullets, every shot hits its mark, even if one cannot actually shoot. And Max urgently needs such free bullets so that he can pass the shooting test and finally be recognized as a member of the community. Otherwise, he will forever be branded as a failure and cannot marry his girlfriend Agathe. To get the free bullets, however, one must enter into a pact with the devil. From Carl Maria von Weber's romantic opera DER FREISCHÜTZ, a music theater is created for people with and without hearing impairment. For the first time, this co-production of the Cologne Opera and the COMEDIA Theater Taube Actors together with singers on stage sets out to explore the question of how music theater can be made more accessible for people with hearing disabilities. Means of accessibility thereby become an aesthetic component of the total work of art: German Sign Language is used equally alongside singing, spoken language and orchestral music. Music and sounds are visualized, and the sense of smell is also engaged. In this way, the story of the Freischütz is staged in such a form that the opera can be experienced with all senses and accessibility for all to this art form is created.

Free Bullets - The Marksman in five dimensions

Comedia Theater

Three men vie for the love of Elvira: her lover Ernani, Don Carlo, the King of Spain, and Silva, Elvira's wealthy guardian to whom she is betrothed. When Carlo is to be elected as Emperor in Aachen, Silva and Ernani are also among the conspirators. However, the assassination attempt fails, Carlo is elected Emperor Charles V, and wants to punish the conspirators. At Elvira's request, however, he pardons both and ultimately accepts the love between her and Ernani. But the happy ending does not last long, as Silva seeks revenge on Ernani... With ERNANI, Verdi created a gripping drama of power, love, and jealousy based on Victor Hugo's model, using a historical event as the occasion: the coronation of Charles V as Emperor in Aachen Cathedral in 1520. For Verdi, the shocking impact of the plot took precedence over its dramaturgical credibility. The world premiere of ERNANI on 9 March 1844 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice was an immediate triumph for Verdi. After the successes of NABUCCO and I LOMBARDI, this was to be Verdi's definitive breakthrough as a composer. The work quickly spread across Italian stages and was soon performed in London, Paris and Berlin. In the 19th century, ERNANI was one of the most frequently performed operas by Giuseppe Verdi. While the work is still largely bound to convention in its formal structure, the music possesses a previously unheard dramatic force - with choruses that already foreshadow IL TROVATORE, with finely crafted ensembles, with arias full of exceptional cantabile quality, and with gripping, dramatic finales. The conspirators’ chorus from Act III, incidentally, became - even more than “Va pensiero” - the leitmotif of the Italian “Risorgimento”, the national unification movement of Italy. This early work of Verdi, rarely performed today, is now experiencing a concert performance in Cologne under the baton of Giuliano Carella.

Ernani

The opera begins like a mysterious fairy tale. A woman mourns her child, another consoles: "Find a happy person in this world and cut a button off his sleeve." Do it before night, and your child will live. A happy person. You have time until night. Finding a happy person seems easy. However, one disappointing encounter follows another. Happiness is like a mask that quickly falls when you look more closely. Then the path leads to the threshold of a wondrous and charming garden. PICTURE A DAY LIKE THIS is the new work by composer George Benjamin (*1960) and playwright Martin Crimp (*1956), who, since the triumphant premiere of WRITTEN ON SKIN, are considered among the most important authors of contemporary opera internationally. After two large-scale works, Benjamin and Crimp return to chamber opera with their fourth joint work. PICTURE A DAY LIKE THIS develops a story as touching as it is surprising about human nature. This creates a fine mosaic of music and narration. The production of the world premiere at the 2023 Festival Aix-en-Provence by Daniel Jeanneteau and Marie-Christine Soma alternates between realism and dreamlike fantasy and has since captivated audiences in France and England. Now the co-production with the Cologne Opera can be experienced as a German premiere at the Staatenhaus. "PICTURE A DAY LIKE THIS addresses the most existential questions in just one hour." […] George Benjamin's music is on point in every beat, with every note, and from the tightly held ensemble, he conjures a richness of colour that is astonishing. [...] To this end, Daniel Jeanneteau and Marie-Christine Soma create a subtly crafted Gesamtkunstwerk with enchanting lighting direction as well as high scenic density and elegance." (BR-Klassik)

Picture a Day like this

Maria is new to the big city. She brings with her boundless curiosity, her confidence, and her big heart for everyone she meets. She's practically perfect. Her compassion has the potential to save humanity. But as she increasingly tries to take her life into her own hands, she is confronted with a disastrous truth that calls her entire reality into question...

Maria Everywhere

Radfahren in der Grundschule

The Chinese princess Turandot is obliged to marry only the man who solves her three riddles - a vow that has already cost countless princes their lives. Anyone who fails will be executed that very night. However, when Calaf, a Tartar Prince, sees Turandot, he cannot resist her enigmatic beauty. He solves the tasks, but the princess refuses the marriage. Calaf turns the game round: In order to avoid the marriage, Turandot must discover his name before dawn - a task that pushes everyone to their limits. The aria "Nessun dorma" marks the opera's dramatic climax. But after the naming of the name, "Love", Puccini's last work ends with the note "e poi "Tristano" - "and then Tristan". The opulent production by Lydia Steier ("Director of the Year" 2024) makes this work into an opera experience full of suspense, passion, and spectacle. Felix Bender assumes the Musical Direction once again.

Turandot

This is a gripping operatic thriller of emotions, with which the then 21-year-old Gioacchino Rossini catapulted himself to the forefront of Italian composers from Venice in 1813: Amenaide is to obey her father's will and marry a man she does not love. In doing so, she contributes to ending the power struggle between two rival families in her hometown. Amenaide, in the meantime suspected of being a traitor and threatened with death, loves Tancredi, who returns to his hometown incognito, learns of the forced betrothal and kills his rival. But the trusting relationship with Amenaide is gone, Tancredi is desperate and wants to find death. Although an early work, TANCREDI with its lively melodies and resounding finales testifies to Rossini's musical inventiveness. It is above all the solo scenes in which the work builds up to its highlights. With the catchy cabaletta of the eponymous hero "Di tanti palpiti", the work contains a veritable opera hit, which in Italy effectively has the status of a folk song. The male main character Tancredi is in this case cast with a mezzo-soprano, a "trouser role" characteristic of the early 19th century. Musically, however, TANCREDI has much more to offer than this one big hit. Rossini developed new ways for the romantic Italian opera with his so-called "Rossini Code" also in terms of form - often a tempo d’attacco, an adagio, a tempo di mezzo and a cabaletta follow one another. The successful production of the Bregenz Festival from the year 2024, directed by Jan Philipp Gloger, is now being presented in Cologne. Jan Philipp Gloger, most recently in Cologne for the direction of EIN MASKENBALL, focuses his production on the love between two women who have little chance of self-fulfilment in a clan and macho world. The musical direction is held by George Petrou.

Oper Köln

1 - 28 Mar, 2026

Le Nozze di Figaro

Mar 28, 2026

Searching for Opera Traces: The Marriage of Figaro

Mar 28, 2026

Searching for clues Opera: Turandot

Mar 29 - May 3, 2026

Die Walküre

11 - 14 Apr, 2026

Cultural Office Dance 2025

1 - 28 Mar, 2026

Le Nozze di Figaro

21 - 22 Feb, 2026

Dream Team

Articles & News

Oper Köln