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

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

EPSG:4326

Orchestra Academy

Opernhaus Zürich

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»

Rigoletto

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

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 «Die tote Stadt»

Bernhard Theater

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.

Countertime

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»

Ballet by Kim Brandstrup after works by Hans Christian Andersen

Of Light, Wind and Waters

Music theater for children from age 7 by Samuel Penderbayne (*1989)
Libretto by Christian Schönfelder after Christine Nöstlinger
Commissioned by the Opernhaus Zürich

Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig

Introductory Matinee «Of Light, Wind and Waters»

Half a century and major historical upheavals lie between the creation of the two works by Richard Strauss that can be heard in the 4th Philharmonic Concert: In the tone poem Don Quixote (1897), the composer was inspired by Cervantes' famous chivalric novel to create a score full of illustrative effects. He created a no less artistic tone painting of a completely different kind in his old age with the Four Last Songs (1948) based on poems by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff, which are characterised entirely by the motif of farewell. The soloist will be the German soprano Hannah-Elisabeth Müller, who has become famous for her Zdenka in Strauss' Arabella under Christian Thielemann. General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Philharmonia Zurich.

Strauss

In just 80 minutes, an English adventurer travels through the world of opera with his young guests and their adult companions. Thanks to their knowledgeable companion Squillo, they discover hidden corners, meet an oboist who enchants the participants not only with music but also with amazing tricks, and together they experience the magic inherent in this world.

With Squillo Through the World of Opera in 80 Minutes

Drame-lyrique in 5 acts by Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré
after the tragedy by William Shakespeare

Roméo et Juliette

Tragedia giapponese in two acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
after Pierre Loti, John Luther Long and David Belasco

Madama Butterfly

Opera buffa in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Le nozze di Figaro

Whether as cheeky street urchins in Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, in the Christmas hustle and bustle in front of Café Momus in Puccini's La bohème or in the church scene of Tosca - every opera house needs a children's choir. To get in the mood for the Christmas season, the children's choir of Opernhaus Zürich can be heard together with the SoprAlti in a concert on the Studiobühne. In addition to well-known Christmas carols, unknown works by Palestrina, Max Reger and Maurice Ravel will also be performed.

Leise rieselt der Schnee

Felix, the littlest evergreen in the nursery, has the most fun of all with the Hare family – and completely forgets about how he’s constantly teased.

This series is our offer for the youngest of opera guests. We tell stories from children’s books and bring them to life through song and music in a semi-staged performance. The children are very close to the action and contribute to the event.

Fairy Tales on a musical carpet «Felix, das Tännchen»

«You will die! A friend will kill you.» – The scene with the fortune teller Ulrica, who prophesies that Count Riccardo will soon meet his end, is just one of many effective scenes in Verdi’s opera Un ballo in maschera. Riccardo doesn’t believe Ulrica, and laughs – but a short while later he is murdered by his best friend Renato during a masked ball. Comedy and horror are also closely linked musically in this score from Verdi’s middle creative phase. The story of an idle, politically weak ruler who is killed at a masked ball is based on the historical case of Gustav III of Sweden. However, Verdi was less interested in historical details than in the effective dramaturgy offered by the triangular constellation between Riccardo, his best friend Renato and his wife Amelia. The emotional drama that takes place in the middle act between Riccardo and his friend's wife is one of the most sensual love scenes Verdi ever wrote – and leads to the fiercest jealousy from Renato, who then joins a gang of conspirators. Verdi wanted to stage his new opera – originally with King Gustav as the title figure – in Naples, but the subject matter was targeted by censors. Showing a regicide on stage was simply impossible in the politically turbulent Italy of the 19th century. In the end, the opera was staged in Rome in 1859, in a historically altered setting. General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and stage director Adele Thomas devote themselves to Verdi’s score of contrasts, which oscillates between masquerade frivolity and deeply felt melodrama. Tenor Charles Castronovo, who has already sung this role at the New York Met, is Riccardo. Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi makes her debut as Amelia.

Un ballo in Maschera

Phantasy Quartet

Ballet in two acts by Patrice Bart after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot
Libretto by Théophile Gautier and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges

Giselle

This story workshop is all about improvisation. Accompanied by professionals and together with the audience, Christoph Betulius invents stories. Characters, costumes and props are devised, and what follows is joyful fantasy and impromptu acting. A genre that develops musical theater out off the cuff with a lot of fun.

imprO-Opera

The one-hour tour takes you through the opera house, where you can admire the fascinating world of stage technology.

Guided Tour Stage Technology (GER)

Three Zurich dance institutions have joined forces to offer fans deeper insights into this multifaceted stage art under the title ZURICH TALKS DANCE. Launched in 2023, the joint platform brings together the Ballett Zürich, the dance department of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) with its BA/MA degree programs, and the Tanz Akademie Zürich (TaZ) and Tanzhaus Zürich.

This discussion format offers an opportunity for public exchange on artistic, professional and pedagogical issues in the ballet world. In a wide variety of settings, including talk shows, interviews and online events, the public can learn more about the lives and work of dancers, choreographers, ballet teachers and other creatives in the dance world, as well as meet top dance professionals.

Zurich Talks Dance

The one-hour tour takes you and your children behind the scenes of the theatre - onto the stage, past the props, make-up and tailoring departments, into the costume department and into the furniture and scenery storage area of the opera house. Let us surprise you.

Guided Tour Opera House for Families (GER)

Opera in two acts by Jonathan Dove (*1959) for children from age 7 and up and the eternally young
based on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne, Libretto by Peter Lund
Commission of the Opernhaus Zürich

In 80 Tagen um die Welt

Pause for 15 minutes a day and escape the hustle and bustle. Artists from the Philharmonia Zürich, the Orchesterakademie, the International Opernstudio, or the Chorus offer 23 concerts held in the Opernhaus foyer, bringing a moment of calm to the often-hectic advent season. The program will be published daily on our Facebook page, on instagram and here. Or simply stop by and let yourself be pleasantly surprised by what’s on offer...

Musical Advent Calendar

The one-hour tour takes you into the make-up department of the opera house and will take you into the fascinating world of wigs and mask making.

Guided Tour Make-up Department (GER)

Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund thrilled as Brünnhilde in the new Zurich Ring des Nibelungen, and now she returns to Zurich as Senta. Her stage partner here is Tomasz Koniezcny, who will sing the title role in this revival and who celebrated his own triumph in the Zurich Ring when he took the stage as Wotan. General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, meanwhile, showed with the Zurich Ring that he is a fantastic Wagner conductor. He now takes over the musical direction of this revival production.

Der fliegende Holländer

Get to know the theatre from a different perspective! The 60 minute tour will take you through the dressmaking department, the wardrobe, the make-up and props departments, and onto the stage.

Guided Tour Opera House (ENG)

Get to know the theatre from a different perspective! The 60 minute tour will take you through the dressmaking department, the wardrobe, the make-up and props departments, and onto the stage. Important information: The tour is held in German.

Guided Tour Opera House (GER)

This offer for the whole family is the perfect way to get ready for an outing to the opera or ballet. Parents and children take in a short excerpt from a work, and meet singers, dancers and musicians. They playfully engage with the story and figures from each work. They learn lots of interesting facts about the piece and at the same time experience how fun and delightful it can be to play, sing and dance together.

Family Workshop «Giselle»

As a punishment for lacking compassion, the writer «Ich» (or «I») is forced to take in an idiot at home. This seems like an easy task: «Ich» sets out to choose his idiot and is quite pleased with himself and his willingness to host a «holy fool». The idiot seems to fit obediently into the lives of «Ich» and his wife, except for the fact that he barely speaks—aside from an occasional «Äch!», he doesn't say a word. But when the idiot suddenly, and without warning, defecates on the carpet one day, an uncontrollable spiral of violence, sex, and anarchy begins. Alfred Schnittke's opera Leben mit einem Idioten premiered in Amsterdam in 1992. The titular idiot was quickly interpreted as a caricature of Lenin, and the absurd, grotesque story as a biting parody of everyday life in the Soviet Union. However, the composer himself pointed out that his opera is 'by no means solely about Communism' but more broadly about a condition in which «the irrational dominates the rational». Thus, director Kirill Serebrennikov will bring the piece to the stage as the dystopian, contemporary story of a couple whose idiot becomes the catalyst for their already toxic relationship—a catalyst that brings the darkest, most destructive urges of human nature to the surface, along with an inclination for aggression and violence. Schnittke’s music, which combines quotes from Bach’s Matthäus-Passion, the Communist Internationale, a folk song about a birch tree, a tango from the 1930s, and further echoes of Chopin, Mahler, Shostakovich, and others in a polystylistic collage technique, has great potential for wit and irony, which will unfold under the direction of Jonathan Stockhammer with the Philharmonia Zurich. Susanne Elmark, Bo Skovhus, and the Zurich Opera Chorus, who will be on stage throughout the evening, take on the enormous challenges of their roles.

Leben mit einem Idioten

open space tanz offers space for those who wish to engage with dance, independent of technique and pace. This weekly workshop is aimed at people who want to experiment, improvise, and create. We’ll deal with contemporary dance and body concepts, choreographic ways of working and forms of expression, and develop references to current Ballett Zürich productions.

open space tanz

This program is designed for everyone who wants to explore their own voice, without the pressure of performing, or for those that want to try out their acting skills and to embark on new paths. We experiment with the voice and make fun side trips into different musical eras and genres. There will be improvisation and development of short scenes as we illuminate the comedy and tragedy of human relationships. We’ll also attend rehearsals at the Opernhaus and go to a performance together.

open space stimme

Discover Ballet «Giselle»

Opernhaus Zürich's staging of Salome is directed by Andreas Homoki, who holds Richard Strauss’ works near to his heart. In his approach, he looks not only at the psychological aspects of the work, but also considers the societal forces at work. In his production, the appearance of the prophet Jochanaan (John the Baptist) marks the beginning of a new time, in which the power structures of yore are destroyed. The cast brings new voices to the stage of the Opernhaus: the promising Russian Elena Stikhina (a member of the ensemble at the Mariinski Theater in St. Petersburg) is our Salome. Lithuanian bass-baritone Kostas Smoriginas makes his debut in Zurich in the role of Jochanaan. Australian conductor Simone Young, an internationally-renowned Strauss interpreter, returns to the Opernhaus Zürich.

Salome

Introductory Matinee «Countertime»

Wagner Mozart Elgar

Introductory Matinee «Elias»

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


Kegelstatt Trio

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

The program will be announced at a later date


Italienisches Liederbuch by Hugo Wolf

Elias

Family Workshop «Orfeo»

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

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

Verklärte Nacht

Ballet School for Zurich Opera House

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

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

L'Orfeo

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!

taZ - Curtain Up! Zurich Dance Academy as Guest

Gala Concert Fabio Luisi

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

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.

Opernhaus Zürich

Apr 2 - May 14, 2025

Emergence

Nov 27, 2024 - Jun 25, 2025

open space tanz

6 - 16 May, 2025

Jakob Lenz

Nov 26, 2024 - Jul 1, 2025

open space stimme

Apr 26 - May 15, 2025

Rigoletto

11 - 12 May, 2025

Orchestra Academy

6 - 16 May, 2025

Jakob Lenz

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