Step into a realm of artistry and wonder with Opernhaus Zürich's captivating events lineup, designed to engage audiences of all ages. From the charming introduction of ballet to children through 'Discover Ballet Giselle' to exploring vocal and dance talents in 'open space stimme' and 'open space tanz' workshops, there's something for everyone. Uncover the secrets of the opera house through guided tours, enjoy family workshops, and be mesmerized by performances like 'Leben mit einem Idioten' and 'Der fliegende Holländer'. This season promises unforgettable experiences, blending tradition and modernity in the heart of Zürich.

Discover An Enchanting World of Opera, Ballet, and Dance at Opernhaus Zürich

Opernhaus Zürich is offering a diverse array of events that invite participants to immerse themselves in the worlds of ballet, opera, and theater. From interactive workshops like 'Discover Ballet: Giselle' and 'open space stimme' to insightful guided tours and the enchanting children's opera 'In 80 Tagen um die Welt,' there's something for everyone. Dive into these experiences and gain unique perspectives on the artistry and behind-the-scenes magic of this renowned institution.

Dive into the Arts: Workshops and Tours at Opernhaus Zürich

Opernhaus Zürich opens its doors to a vibrant array of cultural experiences, ranging from immersive ballet workshops and voice exploration to exclusive behind-the-scenes tours and captivating operatic performances. From October 2024 to July 2025, the opera house invites everyone to explore the arts through hands-on workshops, insightful discussions, and guided tours. Whether you’re a dance enthusiast, opera lover, or curious newcomer, these events promise to enrich your understanding and appreciation of performing arts in the heart of Zurich.

Opera and Dance: A Kaleidoscope of Experiences at Opernhaus Zürich

Opernhaus Zürich invites you to delve into the world of performing arts with a series of events designed to inspire and educate. From exploring your vocal and dance skills to understanding the intricate details of opera production, these events offer something for everyone. Whether you're interested in developing your creative talents or simply want a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the opera world, there are numerous opportunities to engage with the arts in a meaningful way.

Exploring the Arts: Opernhaus Zürich's Engaging Series of Events

Dive into the vibrant world of Opernhaus Zürich, where creativity knows no bounds. From exploring your voice at 'Open Space Stimme' to experimenting with movement at 'Open Space Tanz', these events offer a unique opportunity for artistic expression. Gain exclusive behind-the-scenes insights with guided tours and engage in thought-provoking discussions at 'Zurich Talks Dance'. Whether you're a seasoned performer or a curious novice, these events promise an enriching experience that celebrates the diverse spectrum of performing arts.

Unlocking Creativity at Opernhaus Zürich: A Journey Through Dance, Music, and Theatre

Zürich is set to become a vibrant hub of artistic expression with a series of engaging events hosted by Opernhaus Zürich. From exploring the nuances of voice and dance in the 'open space' series to unraveling the intricate world of ballet and opera through guided tours and performances, these events offer something for everyone. Delve into the rich tapestry of Zürich's artistic landscape as you participate in workshops, witness world premieres, and engage in enlightening discussions with industry experts.

A Cultural Odyssey: Discovering Zürich's Artistic Facets

Opernhaus Zürich invites you to engage with art in its diverse forms, offering a series of events that delve into the realms of dance, opera, and creative exploration. From experimenting with your voice in 'open space stimme' to experiencing the creative freedom of contemporary dance in 'open space tanz,' and uncovering the theatrical magic behind the scenes with guided tours, there's something for everyone. Join discussions with top dance professionals in 'Zurich Talks Dance' and immerse yourself in classic operatic masterpieces such as 'Die tote Stadt' and 'Rigoletto.'

Discovering Artistic Expression at Opernhaus Zürich: A Journey Through Dance, Opera, and More

Opernhaus Zürich presents a captivating series of events, inviting enthusiasts of all backgrounds to explore their creative sides. From a voice exploration in 'open space stimme' to contemporary dance in 'open space tanz', and a behind-the-scenes look at ballet, makeup, and more, these events cater to artistic curiosity. The lineup also includes dramatic performances like 'Salome' and 'Atonement', ensuring a thrilling experience for all attendees. Join us in Zurich to immerse yourself in a world where every form of artistic expression is celebrated.

Exploring Art and Expression: Opernhaus Zürich's Diverse Offerings

This summer, Zürich is set to become a vibrant epicenter of opera and music, with Opernhaus Zürich hosting a series of captivating events. From the fantastical 'Les Contes d’Hoffmann' to the enriching 'L'Orfeo', and innovative youth projects like '#Entscheide dich!', there's something for everyone. Additionally, gala concerts highlighting renowned talents and a delightful open-air event promise to engage and entertain diverse audiences. As these events unfold, the city will witness a blend of classic and contemporary, traditional and innovative performances.

Opera and Music Extravaganza: A Month at Opernhaus Zürich

Opernhaus Zürich offers a vibrant and diverse lineup of events that promise to enchant audiences. From the operatic interpretations of 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'The Bat' to the poignant ballet 'Clara', there's something for every art lover. The orchestral performances such as 'Altstaedt & Chan' and chamber concerts also highlight the versatility and talent of the musicians. Each event is a storytelling masterpiece, capturing the essence of human emotions and experiences, making Opernhaus Zürich the cultural hub for immersive and unforgettable artistic experiences.

A Tapestry of Sounds and Stories: Opernhaus Zürich's Captivating Line-Up

The Opernhaus Zürich is set to host an eclectic mix of events in 2025 and 2026, from timeless operas to avant-garde performances. Discover the rich tapestry of musical and dance events featuring renowned artists and innovative productions. From the powerful notes of Clara Schumann's life in 'Clara' to the thrilling suspense in 'Cardillac', each event promises to capture and engage audiences with its unique charm and artistic brilliance.

A Year of Musical Brilliance at Opernhaus Zürich: A Journey Through Sound and Dance

Concert with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

'ZKO House' in Tiefenbrunnen

The Orchester der Oper Zürich starts the concert season under a new, old name. After thirteen years as Philharmonia Zurich, the orchestra will return to its original moniker. The Philharmonic Concerts will once again alternate between the Opernhaus and the Tonhalle Zürich.

Mühlemann & Noseda

Tonhalle Zürich

As in all episodes of Ovid’s «Metamorphoses», a transformation also takes place here: After he is slain by his rival, the giant Polifemo, Acis is transformed into a gushing spring by his lover, the water nymph Galatea. The love triangle ignited the imagination of numerous artists – including the 23-year-old Händel. His Serenata is a charming miniature opera full of musical discoveries that the composer used in later works. Philippe Jaroussky, a world-famous countertenor, has additionally made a name for himself as a conductor, and for the first time here leads the Orchestra La Scintilla.

Acis, Galatea and Polyphemus

Zurich Opera House

Bezuidenhout & Minasi

Seduction and intrigue: The romance between Cleopatra and Caesar during his conquest of Egypt is one of the most famous love affairs in the world. George Frideric Händel’s opera based on this story was a sensational success. The composer’s contemporaries declared it «beauty of all kinds in abundance». Even today, the magic of this music remains unbroken. In this Opéra de Monte-Carlo production, director Davide Livermore transfers the action to a luxurious cruise ship on the Nile. Cecilia Bartoli sings Cleopatra, one of her most thrilling roles.

Julius Caesar in Egypt

Olga Neuwirth is one of the outstanding composers of our time. Together with Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek, she is writing a new piece of music theater. They send two «vampires» – really avatars of themselves – on a journey around the world. They observe the decline of humanity while a tyrannical king and a self-conjuring sea monster fight for power.

Monster's Paradise

Chamber music concerts are an important part of the program. In various formations and ensembles, the musicians of the Orchester der Oper Zürich explore a wide repertoire. At close quarters and in intimate spaces, audiences experience the intensity of the musicians as they make music. Each of the nine chamber music programs in the Spiegelsaal has its own individual focus: classics of the genre meet rarely heard works, and early music meets crossover. The «Zur Premiere» concert series feature programs specially tailored to a corresponding opera premiere.

8th Chamber Concert

Hall of Mirrors

Illustrious guests come and go at the "Sound Hotel of Emotions." All of them are merely passing through, yet they have their own special needs and demand their full attention. Emotional outbursts are inevitable. But the doorman ensures that everyone finds their place in the Hall of Mirrors, and contentment ultimately returns.

Sound Hotel of Emotions

Portrait Concert Olga Neuwirth

Celebratory concert for Ralf Weikert’s 85th birthday

Giuseppe Verdi’s «Messa da Requiem» is one of the most popular pieces in the concert repertoire. In a sensational co-production by the Oper Zürich and Ballett Zürich, Christian Spuck brought the oratorio for four solo voices, choir, and orchestra to the stage in 2016, as a combination of dance, abstract scene, space, and light. In his internationally acclaimed production, Spuck focuses on the human creature in the face of death and embarks on a sensitive search for traces of the whence and whither of the human being, between the terrifying proximity of death, loneliness, community solidarity, and mourning.

Requiem Mass

Cardillac cannot part with his art. The jeweler must kill anyone who buys jewelry from him. E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novella «Das Fräulein von Scuderi», one of the first German detective stories, served as source material for Paul Hindemith. His 1926 opera is a milestone in the development of music theater. A century years after its premiere, theater and filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó stages this thriller about obsessions, control, and self-alienation. 

Cardillac

Special «Cardillac» Chamber Concert

Recital Asmik Grigorian

Jussen & Rustioni

Katharina Rosenberger and Dzovinar Mikirditsian explore the themes of memory and remembrance in two new works. Together with the Geneva-based percussion collective Eklekto, they are creating a performance as an open «work-in-progress», one that takes a look behind the scenes between music theater, radio art and concert, and in which the audience becomes part of the action. Zurich composer Katharina Rosenberger was awarded the Swiss Music Prize 2023, among others, for her border-defying works.

Furrows of Memories

Chamber music concerts are an important part of the program. In various formations and ensembles, the musicians of the Orchester der Oper Zürich explore a wide repertoire. At close quarters and in intimate spaces, audiences experience the intensity of the musicians as they make music. Each of the nine chamber music programs in the Spiegelsaal has its own individual focus: classics of the genre meet rarely heard works, and early music meets crossover.

7th Chamber Concert

For Figaro and Susanna, it was supposed to be the most beautiful day of their lives: their wedding day. But their employer, Count Almaviva, who is equally in love with Susanna, does everything he can to delay the wedding. Twenty-four turbulent hours begin, in which the power of Eros throws every character in the play into confusing emotional states. Director Jan Philipp Gloger sets Mozart’s masterpiece in the present day, highlighting the way a supposedly irresistible man gets ensnared in a complex code of conduct designed to prevent abuse of power and sexual assault.

The Marriage of Figaro

Special Chamber Concert Morton Feldman

This opera’s 1875 premiere in Paris caused a scandal, after the title character’s anarchic nature and lustful femininity disturbed the bourgeois audience’s sensibilities. But Bizet’s opera soon began its triumphal march, becoming a myth of modern times. To this day, «Carmen» fascinates audiences with its relentless drama and the elemental power of its melodies. Andreas Homoki’s production pays homage to the place where the opera was created, the Opéra comique in Paris. 

Carmen

This four-part ballet evening brings together two legendary dance pieces and two world premieres.

The Ballett Zürich has a long-standing relationship with the American choreographer William Forsythe. His «New Suite» from 2012, set to music by Bach, Händel, and Berio, combines eight technically demanding duets from different creative periods, forming a showcase of his work «en miniature». Hans van Manen made dance history in 1979 with his video ballet «Live». Created in the pioneering days of video technology, this piece for two dancers, a pianist, and a cameraman explodes the boundaries of the stage space, revealing itself to be a masterful puzzle game about the mechanisms of perception.

Timeframed

Altstaedt & Chan

6th Chamber Concert

The «Japanese tragedy» by Giacomo Puccini shows how the American naval officer Pinkerton embraces Japanese culture, marrying Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha, for the duration of his stay. When he later returns with his «real» wife to take the child he had with Cio-Cio-San back to his homeland, the young woman is left with only one way out. With his ambitious composition, Puccini combined Eastern and Western motifs, producing one of his most successful operas at the start of the 20th century. Director Ted Huffman brings the opera to the stage in stunningly beautiful images and with great narrative tension.

Madama Butterfly

The court of the Duke of Mantua is host to lavish parties. But in this society, having fun means humiliating and degrading others, and the most cynical joker of all is Rigoletto. He wants to protect his daughter Gilda from the corrupt world, so he locks her away. But the young woman goes her own way. Together with «Il trovatore» and «La traviata», «Rigoletto» cemented Verdi’s international fame as an opera composer. The opera is gripping theater in which all roles are ideally cast: from the king to the avenger, from the lover to the murderer.

Rigoletto

2nd La Scintilla Concert

Clara Schumann was very likely the most important pianist of her time. Her life – as a daughter, artist, wife, mother, carer, manager, and muse – was full of ups and downs, and she devoted it entirely to music. In a world dominated by men, she displayed a degree of independence and self-determination that was astonishing for a woman of her time.

Cathy Marston follows the path of this exceptional artist, and focuses on Clara and her divorced parents, her relationship with Robert Schumann, and her connection with Johannes Brahms in her ballet, which premiered in 2024. She tells of devotion and passion, inspiration and responsibility.

Clara

Be someone else for a night? It’s not just frustrated Rosalinde and her employee Adele, who would much rather have been an artist, who dream of it. Together with Gabriel von Eisenstein, who has just been sentenced to prison, and Dr. Falke, who is bent on revenge, they go to Prince Orlofsky's crazy ball. Here, of all places, all the masks drop. Austrian director Anna Bernreitner stages this most Viennese of all operettas in costumes by renowned fashion designer Arthur Arbesser. It’s an evening with champagne moods, missed opportunities, and the lightness inherent in darkness, musically directed by the Swiss conductor Lorenzo Viotti.

The Bat

Chamber music concerts are an important part of the program. In various formations and ensembles, the musicians of the Orchester der Oper Zürich explore a wide repertoire. At close quarters and in intimate spaces, audiences experience the intensity of the musicians as they make music.

5th Chamber Concert

Recital Camilla Nylund

Kateryna Tereshchenko

The composer Engelbert Humperdinck based his work on the most famous of all fairy tales. The operatic version of the story of the siblings Hänsel and Gretel, who lose their way in the forest and nearly fall victim to the Knusperhexe, or witch, has always inspired audiences. The music takes well-known folk melodies and combines them with large, shimmering soundscapes that move between dream and reality, and between fears and fantasies. Zurich-born director Thom Luz has received numerous awards for his theater work. With «Hansel and Gretel», he makes his long-awaited opera debut, and unleashes the poetic power of theatrical magic. Lithuanian conductor Giedrė Šlekytė musically directs.

Hansel and Gretel

Chamber music concerts are an important part of the program. In various formations and ensembles, the musicians of the Orchester der Oper Zürich explore a wide repertoire. At close quarters and in intimate spaces, audiences experience the intensity of the musicians as they make music. Each of the nine chamber music programs in the Spiegelsaal has its own individual focus: classics of the genre meet rarely heard works, and early music meets crossover. The «Zur Premiere» concert series feature programs specially tailored to a corresponding opera premiere. Chamber music concerts usually take place both at Sunday matinees and on Monday evenings. In addition, three special concerts on the Studiobühne stage shed light on influential composers from the first and second half of the 20th century, as well as the present. On the occasion of the premiere of Paul Hindemith’s opera «Cardillac», works by the composer, who lived in Zurich for a time, will be performed together with Leoš Janáček’s wind sextet «Mládi». To mark the 100th birthday of American avant-gardist Morton Feldman (1926-1987), the Opera Nova ensemble will perform his legendary trio «For Philip Guston», which lasts over four hours, in a special concert setting with a comfortable reclining area. One week before the Swiss premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s new music theater piece «Monster's Paradise» Opera Nova presents a portrait concert of the Austrian composer's chamber music works.

4th Chamber Concert

1st La Scintilla Concert

A political drama about a bloody seizure of power, namely the rise and terrible fall of the Scottish military leader Macbeth and his wife, are at the heart of Verdi’s opera, based on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Barrie Kosky's production is «an aesthetic milestone in the work’s reception» (NZZ). It radically concentrates on the protagonists’ inner perspective in a ghostly jet-black stage space. Gianandrea Noseda navigates Verdi’s bold score. Roman Burdenko and Ekaterina Semenchuk sing the roles of the couple shattered by fears and madness.

Macbeth

War, flight, hatred and revenge characterize the grand portrait that Giuseppe Verdi created in «La forza del destino». Amid this unpredictable interplay of forces, Leonora and Alvaro search for each other, fight for their love, experience persecution, find refuge in faith, and are crushed by inexorable fate. Director Valentina Carrascothe Catalan, who was a member of the Catalan theater collective La Fura dels Baus, uses Verdi’s monumental scenes as an opportunity to question the values of war and peace in the 21st century, creating a dystopian fantasy. Anna Netrebko returns to Zurich as Leonora. General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda is on the podium.

The strength of destiny

3rd Chamber Concert

«L'amour est un oiseau rebelle», sings Carmen in Georges Bizet’s opera of the same name. Mats Ek, the Swedish dance legend, made Carmen the heroine of a ballet at the Cullberg Ballet in 1992. He based it closely on the novella by Prosper Mérimée, which also forms the basis for the opera, in which Don José tells the story of Carmen from his death cell. Playing with classic gender roles, Mats Ek avoids common Carmen clichés and finds a deeply human interpretation. Another strong female figure is at the center of Dani Rowe’s choreography. After a career as a dancer with the Australian Ballet and the Nederlands Dans Theater, the Australian-born choreographer now heads the Oregon Ballet Theater. She is creating her first choreography for the Ballett Zürich, set to the music of Mussorgsky’s «Bilder einer Ausstellung», in the orchestral version by Maurice Ravel.

Rebel Birds

Two masterpieces of French late Romanticism form the core of the second chamber concert program: Ernest Chausson’s Piano Quartet in A major, Op. 30, marked by rich tonal colors and expressive melodic writing, is paired with César Franck’s Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 14, whose dramatic intensity and radiant sonority make it a pinnacle of Romantic chamber music.

2nd Chamber Concert

Argentinian countertenor Franco Fagioli is celebrated worldwide for his interpretations of Handel and Rossini. At the Zurich Opera House, he now presents a program that explores the full breadth of Italian bel canto singing. Arias by Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini represent the late flowering of a long vocal tradition that began in the 17th century – closely linked to the distinctive timbre of the castrati and countertenors of that era. In the first part of the program, Franco Fagioli showcases arias by Cavalli, Cesti, Scarlatti, and Lotti—some of the most influential Italian opera composers of the time. He is accompanied on piano by Michele D’Elia.

Recital Franco Fagioli

Since his «Parsifal» debut at the Bayreuth Festival in 2023 at the latest, Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado has been considered one of the most important Wagner conductors of our time. In 2028, he will conduct the new «Ring» cycle in Bayreuth. Also featuring music by Richard Wagner - namely the festive prelude to «Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg» – Pablo Heras-Casado and the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera will open the 1st Philharmonic Concert of this season. The program continues with the Violin Concerto by Robert Schumann, performed by French violinist Renaud Capuçon. The concert concludes with a major orchestral work: Richard Strauss’s tone poem «Also sprach Zarathustra». With its spectacular musical «sunrise» at the beginning - freely inspired by Nietzsche - it remains one of Strauss’s most popular works.

Capuçon & Heras-Casado

Powerful bars make it clear right from the start: «Tosca» is an operatic thriller about desire, betrayal, and abuse of power. With the title heroine, Puccini created a character who dedicated her entire life to the stage. Robert Carsen stages an enigmatic play about appearances and reality, theater and truth, while keeping pace with suspense-packed plot. Under the musical direction of Marco Armiliato, the dramatic triumvirate is made up of Sonya Yoncheva in the title role, Jonas Kaufmann as Cavaradossi, and Bryn Terfel in the role of Scarpia.

Tosca

The first concert of the chamber music series in the Spiegelsaal opens with a rarely heard early work: Gustav Mahler’s fragmentary Piano Quartet in A minor, the only surviving chamber music composition by the composer. It is characterized by dark tonal colors and a passionate expression. In contrast, Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25, is considered one of the most important works of the genre – especially famous for its rousing final movement.

1st Chamber Concert

A silk ladder (La scala di seta) enables Giulia to receive her husband, whom she married against her guardian’s wishes, in her room night after night. The fact that three men end up using the silk ladder is one of the unsavory complications of this comedy. Director Damiano Michieletto presents the six-character work as a fast-paced sitcom, true to Rossini’s motto that the everyday must be exaggerated in order for it to become an opera.

The Silk Ladder

Manon wants a life of luxury. Des Grieux, a student, tries to escape his father’s influence, hoping for a freer life with Manon. The uncompromising nature of their wishes becomes the young man’s undoing. «Manon» made Jules Massenet one of France’s leading opera composers of the Belle Époque overnight. Lisette Oropesa is one of the outstanding lyric coloratura sopranos of her generation. French tenor Benjamin Bernheim’s international career began as a member of the International Opernstudio in Zurich.

Manon

When Strauss and Hofmannsthal wrote «Der Rosenkavalier» – setting it in an imaginary Rococo Vienna and yet closely linked to the decadent fin de siècle – they created a profound social comedy. It is not without melancholy that the Marschallin lets her young lover Octavian go when he falls head over heels with Sophie, who hails from Faninal’s bourgeois household. As voluptuous as Strauss' score is, it contains tender moments of dream and melancholy. Director Lydia Steier stages Strauss’ opera according to an aesthetic concept by Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein. Diana Damrau sings the Marschallin. 

Der Rosenkavalier

Wie du warst! Wie du bist!

Bernhard Theater

A special highlight to kick off the season is the song recital by the internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and artistic director Matthias Schulz on the piano. The program features a diverse selection of well-known works from the Romantic era and Verismo by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Hector Berlioz, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Pietro Mascagni, as well as rare pieces by Henri Duparc, famous for his musical settings of Charles Baudelaire’s poetry, and songs by the composers Jāzeps Mediņš and Jāzeps Vītols—a tribute to Elīna Garanča’s homeland, Latvia.

Recital Elīna Garanča

Aided by a variety of reference points, this three-part ballet evening delves into the world of the 1950s and ‘60s.

Scottish-born Kenneth MacMillan is one of the leading choreographers of the 20th century. His 1966 ballet «Concerto», set to the music of Shostakovich's second piano concerto, is a celebrated piece of pure choreographic poetry.

In Cathy Marston’s ballet «Mrs. Robinson» – based on the novel «The Graduate» by Charles Webb – a recent college graduate becomes involved with the attractive Mrs. Robinson, a married woman from his parents’ circle of friends.

Countertime

EPSG:4326

Weber Wirth Brahms

Opernhaus Zürich

The evening before oper für alle, you can once again look forward to the third edition of the popular sister event kino für alle. Bring your family and friends – your folding chairs, picnic blankets and picnic baskets, too – and take in an open-air summer evening together, accompanied by fabulous entertainment.

kino für alle

Sechseläutenplatz

The highly talented young singers present themselves in this final concert with a colorful program of arias, duets and ensembles.

Gala Concert of the International Opera Studio

Gala Concert Fabio Luisi

taZ - Curtain Up! Zurich Dance Academy as Guest

The Opernhaus Zürich Hashtag Projects are a central component of our educational outreach efforts and the most intensive and comprehensive way of bringing young people into contact with music theater and dance. Over the course of an entire school year, young people from a graduating class have the opportunity to develop their own full-length play and present it to the public on our studio stage once it is finished. An experienced team of artists from the fields of dance, theater and music accompanies the students on their journey from the development of the play to the staging and choreographic realization, through to the premiere.

#Entscheide dich!

Favola in Musica in prologue and five acts by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Libretto by Alessandro Striggio

L'Orfeo

Opéra-fantastique in five acts by Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)
Libretto by Jules Paul Barbier after the drame fantastique of the same name
by Barbier and Michel Florentin Carré

Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Ballet School for Zurich Opera House

Our series of Brunch and Lunch Concerts features musicians from the Philharmonia Zürich as they present work trouvailles in various constellations, familiar pieces in unusual arrangements, and aural adventures the likes of which you’ve never heard before. These chamber concerts take place in the relaxed yet intimate atmosphere of the magnificent Opernhaus Spiegelsaal. After the concert, we look forward to welcoming you to the Restaurant Lulu for brunch or lunch à la carte. Reserve your table with a magnificent view of the glittering Lake Zurich and the lively Sechseläutenplatz by calling +41 44 715 00 26 or at www.lulu-zh.ch

Verklärte Nacht

Benefit Concert for the International Opera Studio With the Participation of Cecilia Bartoli

Ian McEwan, born in 1948, is one of the most important voices in contemporary English literature. His successful 2001 novel Atonement is about a life spent atoning for an early debt: Through a deliberate false statement, Briony Tallis, a pubescent, overzealous writer in 1930s England, puts her older sister’s unfit lover in prison and destroys the lives and loves of two people

Atonement

Family Workshop «Orfeo»

Elias

The program will be announced at a later date


Italienisches Liederbuch by Hugo Wolf

Musikdrama in one act by Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
after Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name

Salome

Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven (on historical instruments)


Kegelstatt Trio

We offer introductory matinees for each of our new productions: Join us as dramaturges meet conductors, stage directors, choreographers and set and costume designers in conversation to offer their own perspectives on each work. On Sunday mornings a week or two before each premiere, you’ll have the best seat in the house as you learn about what makes each production unique.

Introductory Matinee «Elias»

Wagner Mozart Elgar

Orchestra Academy

Chamber Opera by Wolfgang Rihm (*1952)
Text by Michael Fröhling after Georg Büchner’s «Lenz»

Jakob Lenz

Rameau Grisey Djordjević

Melodrama in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
After Victor Hugo’s play «Le Roi s’amuse»

Opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957)
Libretto by Paul Schott (Julius and Erich Wolfgang Korngold) after the novel
«Bruges la morte» by Georges Rodenbach

Die tote Stadt

Corelli Vivaldi

Romantic opera in three acts by Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Libretto by the composer

Lohengrin

Works by Carl Nielsen, Richard Strauss and Franz Berwald



Nach Norden

Introductory Matinee «Die tote Stadt»

A clever mouse builds a time machine, meets Albert Einstein and makes amazing discoveries.



Musical Stories «Einstein»

Emergence

Opera by Beat Furrer (*1954) after the novel «Eisejuaz» by Sara Gallardo
Libretto by Thomas Stangl
Commissioned by the Opernhaus Zürich, World Premiere

Das grosse Feuer

Giselle is the story of a very strong bond of love that continues to have an impact even after death. Soloists from the Ballett Zürich dance excerpts from the famous ballet.

Music by Adolphe Adams

On the studio stage, stories come alive as scenes with music. Our young guests are introduced to live instruments, sing, dance and help shape the action.

Musical Stories «Giselle»

Händel Galliard Locatelli

It’s a party that’s already very nearly legendary – the Opernhaus has already been astounded with exuberant creativity, impressive celebratory frenzy and unbridled joie de vivre at the costume party. In our humble opinion, it’s the greatest party ever! Join us one last time, when it’s time to «overdress!» at the Opernhaus to dance and party to great live bands and DJs on our stages. Come dressed as a shiny disco ball, a Disney princess or a decimal number and dive into an evening that will go down as one for the history books.

overdress!

Introductory Matinee «Das grosse Feuer»

Bernhard-Theater

This three-part ballet evening delves into the world of the ‘50s and ‘60s with a wealth of interwoven references. Particularly in the USA, it was an era in which many of the social structures that had become entrenched in convention were broken down.

Everything revolves around Hanna Glawari in Franz Lehár’s operetta Die lustige Witwe: She is emancipated, beautiful, clever and the heiress to 20 million... Vida Miknevičiūtė will bow in the title role in our revival of Barrie Kosky’s opulent production. The Lithuanian soprano began her distinguished career at the International Opernstudio at the Opernhaus Zürich. She can now be heard singing major Wagner and Strauss roles on stages including the Staatsoper Berlin and La Scala di Milano. She appeared as Lehár’s Hanna at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Making his Opernhaus debut at the podium of the Philharmonia Zürich is conductor Ben Glassberg, a young British conductor who has been Music Director at the Volksoper Wien since 2024

Die lustige Witwe

Dramma per musica in three acts by Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759)
Libretto by Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani



Agrippina

Lachner Hofmann

Dramma giocoso in one act by Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868)
Libretto by Giuseppe Luigi Balocchi
Concert Performance

Il viaggio a Reims

The so-called «butterfly effect» is, originally, a meteorological term. The term suggests that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in another part of the world. This idea plays an important role in discussions about climate change, melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, increasingly severe droughts and flood disasters. The butterfly effect is emblematic of the realization that everything in nature is connected to everything else, and that the smallest interventions in a natural balance can have major consequences.

Uraufführung Cathy Marston

Introductory Matinee «Agrippina»

Dramma lirico in four acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
Libretto by Domenico Oliva, Luigi Illica and others

Manon Lescaut

Julie Fuchs

In his ballet Of Light, Wind and Waters, Kim Brandstrup imaginatively combines motifs from various fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. This workshop offers the ideal preparation for this: parents and children experience a short excerpt from the work live and engage with the story and characters through play and dance.

Family Workshop «Of Light, Wind and Waters»

Ballettsaal A

 Introduction 45 min before the performance.


Rebel Bach Händel

CapriccioCapriccio

Under the guidance of members of the Ballett Zürich, children and adults set off on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opernhaus. In the dance workshop that follows, participants can try their hand (or foot) at being ballerinas and ballerinos, where the focus is on creativity and having fun with movement. With Mélanie Borel, Shelby Williams, Iacopo Arregui, Lucas van Rensburg and Jesse Fraser

Ballet Tour with Mini Workshop

As an introduction to the performance, we offer children workshops for three different ballet evenings. Children will engage with the work and the choreography of each evening through play. Dancers from the Junior Ballett will teach participants a small excerpt of the choreography and dance with them.

Discover Ballet «Of Light, Wind and Waters»

Opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Libretto by Joseph Ferdinand Sonnleithner and Georg Friedrich Treitschke

Fidelio

Introductory Matinee «Manon Lescaut»

Concert with Jeanine De Bique

The sorceress Circé tells of her magical abilities in this family concert. Accompanied by musicians from the «Orchestra La Scintilla», she presents arias from Jean-Marie Leclair's opera «Scylla et Glaucus».

On Circé's Magic Island

Johannes-Passion

Matthäus-Passion

Scylla lives withdrawn into herself, as if in emotional hibernation. Reason, peace, and harmony reign in her cosmos. When Glaucus enters her life, everything changes: She experiences love in all its colors and facets – and does not recognize herself. The opera describes all the lust, wildness, panic, and despair that the young woman experiences as she rediscovers the world for herself. In the end, she will be someone else. Jean-Marie Leclair's rarely performed only opera is a musical discovery. Director Claus Guth returns to Opernhaus Zürich with this new production.

Opernhaus Zürich

Mar 22, 2026

Concert with Jeanine De Bique

22 - 29 Mar, 2026

On Circé's Magic Island

Mar 24, 2026

Johannes-Passion

11 - 28 Mar, 2026

Julius Caesar in Egypt

Mar 26, 2026

Matthäus-Passion

Mar 21, 2026

Concert with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Mar 21, 2026

Mühlemann & Noseda

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Opernhaus Zürich