Get ready to dive into an exciting season at Stadttheater Klagenfurt, where an eclectic mix of chamber music, operas, plays, and unique performances awaits. From the delicate tunes of chamber concerts to the dramatic allure of operas like 'Orpheus in the Underworld' and 'Orfeo and Euridice', theatergoers are in for a treat. Highlights include interactive children's events and the engaging play 'The Natives of Maria Blut'. Come join the cultural festivities and experience art in its multitude of expressions.

A Symphony of Stories: Exploring Klagenfurt's Vibrant Theater Season

At the heart of Klagenfurt lies a cultural treasure trove that's delighting audiences with a rich tapestry of performances. Stadttheater Klagenfurt is ushering in an exciting season brimming with a diverse array of events – from intimate chamber concerts to enchanting operas, children's immersive experiences to riveting plays, and vibrant literary showcases. Each performance offers a unique blend of artistry and emotion, drawing audiences into worlds of music, drama, and storytelling. Join us as we explore the standout moments and creative expressions that define this captivating season.

A Cultural Symphony: Dive into Stadttheater Klagenfurt's Diverse Artistic Offerings

The myth of the Thracian minstrel Orpheus, whose singing not only moved humans and animals but also brought rocks and the gods of death to tears, tells of the inextricable intertwining of love and music. After his wife Eurydice dies from the bite of a poisonous snake, Orpheus descends into the underworld to beg for a second life for Eurydice. With his music, he appeases the spirits of hell, who then grant Eurydice her return to the world of the living. But on the way up, the couple must pass one more test: Orpheus is not allowed to look for Eurydice until the two have returned to the surface.

Orfeo and Euridice

Stadttheater Klagenfurt

New York – a sea of ​​houses full of dens of iniquity and criminal hideouts. And in the middle of it all, an oasis of peace: the house of the Brewster sisters. No one is turned away at their door. And Abby and Martha Brewster's tea parties with quince jam, cookies, and homemade elderberry wine are famous. Even the pastor and the police regularly meet to chat with these pious and charming ladies, who otherwise mainly care for their, well, somewhat headstrong nephew Teddy. Mortimer, Teddy's brother, and Elaine, the pastor's daughter, have also found happiness here. Everything seems peaceful and blissful.

Arsenic and Old Lace

In the 2026 New Year's Concert, Chin-Chao Lin, as Chief Conductor, invites the audience on a journey of dance. Whether it's the visitors of Parisian cabarets or the 19th-century St. Petersburg high society portrayed by Aram Khachaturian in his Masquerade Suite, whether it's Saint-Saëns' Philistines in biblical Palestine or the Lumbyes visitors to Copenhagen's Tivoli – around the world and throughout history, dancing has been and continues to be practiced on festive occasions. And to usher in the New Year, the most beautiful and spirited waltz melodies by Johann Strauss are a must.

New Year's Concert II

Konzerthaus Klagenfurt

New Year's Concert I

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was just eleven years old when he composed the ballet The Snowman . The piece's musical brilliance caused such a sensation that even the emperor took notice of the child prodigy's creation and commissioned a performance at the Imperial and Royal Court Opera. This year, excerpts from The Snowman, reminiscent of Tchaikovsky's great ballets, will open the Christmas concert, in which the KSO and the City Theater Chorus will strike a festive, contemplative, and cheerful tone—including Mozart's Ave verum corpus and Leroy Anderson's exhilarating Sleigh Ride .

Christmas concert

The marriage of Orpheus and Eurydice is over: Eurydice is bored to death at home, while the rather untalented violinist Orpheus gropes his pupils. Eurydice takes an interest in the virile Aristeus, who turns out to be Pluto, ruler of the underworld. He takes her to his dark realm. Orpheus remains behind, rejoicing at his wife's departure. But he hasn't reckoned with public opinion, which, in the spirit of bourgeois decency, calls on Orpheus to go to Olympus and assert his claim to the gods for the return of his wife.

Orpheus in the Underworld

Juan Diego Flórez has long been considered one of the leading tenors of our time. With his charisma and passionate expressiveness, he captivates audiences on the world's most prestigious stages, as well as with his acclaimed recordings. Each of his performances becomes an experience of extraordinary intensity.

Juan Diego Florez – Gala Concert

Who hasn't heard of the infamous robber Hotzenplotz? He's up to mischief again with his seven knives and pepper spray, stealing Grandma's musical coffee grinder—a birthday present from Kasperl and Seppel. Sergeant Dimpfelmoser is completely overwhelmed by this vicious robbery.

Robber Hotzenplotz

What would Aida and Nabucco be without a choir? Who would greet the guests at Wartburg Castle in Tannhäuser ? In ancient drama, the choir serves the function of commenting on the events. In operas, it often embodies priests, courtiers, or "the people," occasionally even becoming a symbol of humanity as a whole. The City Theater Choir is the only professional choir in Carinthia. The singers must cover a wide range of styles, from Baroque and Classical to grand Romantic operas, as well as world premieres and musicals with challenging choreographies. Together with the Extrachor and the KSO, we will transport you this evening into the world of the most beautiful opera choirs.

The most beautiful opera choirs

An exuberant joie de vivre characterizes Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Symphony No. 4, which he began composing in Rome and Naples. Franz Schubert's budget never allowed a trip to Italy—but at least Italian opera was performed in Vienna. He supposedly bet his friends that he could compose overtures as lively as Rossini's, and subsequently created the overture "in the Italian style." Busoni's brilliant comedy overture also follows in the tradition of Rossini, but uses a late-Romantic orchestra, while Richard Strauss wrote his melancholic, serene oboe concerto for a deliberately small ensemble.

Italy!

Children aged three to twelve, accompanied by their parents, have the unique opportunity to sit next to a musician at a KSO rehearsal, to listen and observe.

Right in the middle of the orchestra (children)

Experience a stage orchestra rehearsal of the dance evening "Boléro" up close. The guest performance by SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana combines choreographies by Renato Zanella and Edward Clug. Mitsugu Hoshino and Chin-Chao Lin will conduct the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra.

Stage orchestra rehearsal »Boléro«

Chamber music is the pinnacle of musical interpretation. Musicians of the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra also devote themselves to this exciting musical genre, performing in various formations in the foyer of the City Theater.

Chamber concerts in the foyer

With a ballet evening that is as brilliant as it is thoughtful, the Slovenian State Ballet Ljubljana and the Klagenfurt City Theatre continue their successful collaboration of recent years. Boléro combines two classics of modern ballet composed for large orchestra with the romantic melancholy of Chopin's Nocturnes for piano. The evening takes its title from Maurice Ravel's most famous work. He created Boléro on commission from the Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, but in dance history, Maurice Béjart's 1961 interpretation is considered a milestone. Choreographer Renato Zanella bases his work on Ravel's fundamental musical idea of ​​the struggle for supremacy between rhythm and melody, emphasizing that the beauty of melody rarely emerges victorious in a direct confrontation with the power of rhythm.

Bolero

For political reasons, King Marke of Cornwall wants to marry the Irish Princess Isolde to secure peace between the two countries. However, Tristan, Marke's nephew and vassal, and Isolde fall in love. The basic constellation in Richard Wagner's music drama corresponds to a classic tragedy of love and jealousy, in which personal feelings and social obligations conflict. But Tristan and Isolde's love transcends all social norms.

Tristan and Isolde

Ellida Wangel is the woman from the sea, stranded in the small town on the fjord, driven by the attraction the water exerts on her. Her existence is consumed by the longing for "something else" that will free her from the bourgeois life with her husband. While he dwells on his deceased wife, Ellida escapes into the dream of the sailor to whom she was once attached.

The Woman from the Sea

With the first symphony concert of the season, the new chief conductor Chin-Chao Lin, together with the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra, traces key milestones in his musical biography. To kick things off, he will transport the audience to the dramatic landscapes of his homeland with the short symphonic poem " The Angel from Formosa" by the Taiwanese composer Tyzen Hsiao, evoking nostalgic sounds. Lin applied for admission to the conducting program at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, while Mahler's Symphony No. 4, which he wrote in the composer's cottage in Maiernigg, marks his renewed connection with the region where he will now serve as chief conductor.

Sound paths

A foul love, passion, jealousy, cruelty, and murder—the legendary story of Carmen and Don José is told here as purely and realistically as the French
adventurer and author Prosper Mérimée wrote it in 1845. The famous music from Georges Bizet's opera resonates in Tscho Theissing's sophisticated arrangements. The wonderful melodies that Bizet wrote for Carmen and Don José remain virtually unchanged, but are arranged here for just three—albeit phenomenal—musicians, who are occasionally allowed a brief excursion into the musical present.

CARMEN! – the true story

The princess dutifully fulfills her royal duties and responsibilities. But she no longer wants to live alone. She wants a prince, so she sends a message out into the world: "Dear prince, come to me. I want to marry you!" But princes have become rare, and the shy prince doesn't even want to come. So the princess sends her dreaded rusty knight to fetch the prince. But the knight shows up with a frog. This turns life in the castle completely upside down, and the princess is finally allowed to be who she truly is.

The Frog Queen

High culture and folk culture – are they contradictory, or are they not two different expressions of the same basic human need? Many KSO musicians play in folk music ensembles, and many members of the house choir are active in Carinthian choirs. Some of these will also be performing at the Theaterfest, as will actors who critically examine Carinthian culture. We are also expanding our stage technology show, offering behind-the-scenes insights, and of course, the now traditional costume flea market will not be missed. Another highlight will be the first concert of the new chief conductor, Chin-Chao Lin, with the KSO on the stage of the Stadttheater.

Come in! Vienna Municipal Theatre Festival 2025

Experience a stage orchestra rehearsal of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde up close. Afterwards, we invite you to a discussion with director and artistic director Aron Stiehl and chief conductor Chin-Chao Lin.

Stage orchestra rehearsal »Tristan and Isolde«

After four illustrious years, Nicholas Milton retires as Chief Conductor of the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra. The gala concert begins with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, one of the most magnificent creations of the Romantic era. After a painful struggle between opposing moods, typical of Tchaikovsky, it culminates in a whirlwind celebration, at the end of which even the power of fate is brought to its knees.

Goodbye, Nicholas Milton!

Life in a provincial town is like countless other cities: politics and administration are corrupt, whoever has money has power, and public discontent is growing. And suddenly, those in charge wake up and tremble with fear. A government auditor who oversees the administration is said to be in town. The young man is courted and bribed. The townspeople only realize after his departure that he is not an auditor. The young people of Theaterspielclub II present this satirical classic.

The auditor

The legendary Musicbanda Franui and Burg Theater star Nicholas Ofzcarek have joined forces to explore the musicality of Thomas Bernhard's language and bring it to the stage as a musical reading performance.

logging

The orchestra's harsh and relentless beats call for judgment, the flames of purgatory blaze in the chorus: Verdi, a born dramatist, knew how to   spectacularly stage the thunder and howls of anguish on the Day of Judgement  in the Dies irae . But no less impressive are the quiet moments of the Messa da Requiem , in which Verdi musically explores the pangs of conscience and the hope for the mercy of the Judge of the World.

Requiem Message

" Memory helps us understand why we should fight against that which never ceases to want to repeat itself, " states the speech Franz Schuh wrote for the Festival of Joy on May 8, 2025, on Vienna's Heldenplatz. The festival commemorates the end of the war. Remembering, speaking about what has been repressed, forgotten, and " sequestered away " : this feat of strength against silence is the fervent heart of the new play written by Josef Winkler for the Klagenfurt City Theater.

Me by day and you by night in the pastry shop »Pâtisserie Chaim Soutine«

Kärnten Museum

This season, the young people of Theaterspielclub I are exploring the concept of time from their own perspective. Drawing on personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings, they explore how time influences their lives—be it through school, leisure time, memories, or dreams for the future. What impact does time have on their decisions and turning points? Partly through personal stories, partly through philosophical reflections, the young people provide insight into the multifaceted meaning of time.

Time of my Life?

Audiences can look forward to rousing interpretations of world-famous musicals, including the spirited " If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof and the haunting "Stars" from Les Misérables . Lovers of art song will also be delighted, as Terfel's captivating performances include Aaron Copland's " By the River" and Ivor Novello's " I Can Give You the Starlight ."

Sir Bryn Terfel – gala evening

Does it always take a prince to be truly happy? Do we need a fairy godmother, or is there enough magic within ourselves to achieve our goals? Is it worth fighting for our dreams? Children have been exploring these and other questions with their parents and grandparents for centuries in the fairytale of Cinderella – and music has explored this subject for just as long. The Carinthian Symphony Orchestra opens up enchanting soundscapes and tells its very own version of the story.

I, Cinderella

It is a finale that marks a new beginning: after four years and the acclaimed productions of Die Walküre , Siegfried and Götterdämmerung , artistic director Aron Stiehl and chief conductor Nicholas Milton will bring the Klagenfurt Ring to a close with Rheingold .

The Rhinegold

Attend a stage orchestra rehearsal of Das Rheingold and then discuss your ideas with director and artistic director Aron Stiehl in the theater canteen.

Rehearsal visit of "Das Rheingold"

Klaus Eckel is the German Autobahn among cabaret artists. Unfortunately, he doesn't know the speed limit. But in 2023, the hyperactive wordsmith took a break in the parking lot of life and treated himself to a nine-month hiatus! Doing nothing for a pregnancy! Without a pandemic! And that's supposed to be a top performer? Well, if only everyone did that! Countless punchlines have piled up. And punchlines behave like dogs with full bladders. They just have to get out. And that's why she's going on tour again. The brand-new, freshly baked version of his stadium-worthy breakthrough show: If you talk slowly, you won't be believed .

Klaus Eckel

The young Israeli theatermaker Noam Brusilovsky and his team at the Klagenfurt City Theater have already drawn attention to the incomprehensible sexual, psychological, and physical violence against young people in Carinthia in the name of medicine with "Not Seeing ." The commissioned work was awarded the Nestroy Prize in 2022. Now, with their current project, they are once again drawing attention to the invisible in Carinthia.

QUEERinthia

The creative and destructive power of the elements has inspired composers of all eras to create captivating musical images. In the Four Sea Interludes, Benjamin Britten describes the conditions of the sea, ranging from the peaceful shimmer of dawn to the raging storm. In Frozen in Time, Avner Dorman retraces the geological formation of the continents, while in Heliosis , Hannah Eisendle uses shimmering orchestral sounds to depict the invigorating yet depressing effect of the sun's rays. In Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 3, who develops increasingly eruptive energies from a three-note motif nucleus, music itself becomes an elemental force.

Elemental forces

A story comes to you, and you're right in the middle of it! The City Theater is coming to the kindergarten, bringing with it an exciting story that wouldn't work without you, because the kindergarten children are the main characters. Our theater education team looks forward to seeing you!

Magical worlds

Mr. Forgetful is given an important assignment—but what kind?! Of course he forgets it; it's not for nothing that he's called Mr. Forgetful. But even though he doesn't know where he belongs, or even who he is, Mr. Forgetful makes wonderful friends, discovers wondrous lands, and even helps some eccentric picture book inhabitants. Along the way, with a generous helping of luck and sunshine, he also fulfills his assignment. Roger Hargreaves, the creator of Mister Forgetful and his friends, is considered a global star of children's literature. The first book in the Little Miss and Little Men series was published in 1971 ; there are now 92 different characters.

Miss Sunshine and Mister Happy

Angelina introduces herself to the audience in Gioachino Rossini's La Cenerentola with a wistful song about the king who chooses the right one from among three sisters to be his wife – a prophetic text, as will become clear as the plot progresses.

La Cenerentola

Experience a stage orchestra rehearsal of Rossini's La Cenerentola up close. Afterwards, we invite you to a discussion with director Bernd Mottl in the theater canteen.

Rehearsal visit to “La Cenerentola”

The humanitarian drama Iphigenia in Tauris is the story of an unprecedented female empowerment, a declaration of war on traditional structures, a passionate plea for disobedience.

Iphigenia in Tauris

Attending a rehearsal of Goethe's play "Iphigenie auf Tauris" provides interesting insights into the work on stage. Afterwards, we invite you to a discussion with director Anna Stiepani in the theater canteen.

Rehearsal visit of "Iphigenie auf Tauris"

Based on Ingeborg Bachmann's story "Undine geht," Susanne Kubelka and Dirk Schilling developed an acclaimed evening of drama, instrumental music, and poems set to music for the Theater auf der Heunburg in the summer of 2023. The duo condenses Ingeborg Bachmann's poems into songs, creating an evening that oscillates between chanson and avant-garde, each poem a musical space of its own.

Bachmann Songs

Following the resounding success of the production The Firebird/Carmina Burana, the Stadttheater, together with the Performing Academy Vienna, once again presents an evening that combines music, choral singing and dance.

Dance Episodes

Veta Louise Simmons and her daughter Myrtle Mae also refuse to associate with a member of this species, even though one lives under their roof. The white puka, who goes by the name Harvey, is the best friend of Veta's brother Elwood. The two are inseparable. They love to spend their time in the neighborhood bars, drinking and talking. Wherever Elwood appears, Harvey isn't far away. And as befits a man of good manners, Elwood introduces his friend to everyone. Much to the dismay of his relatives – because the desperate Veta sees her good reputation (and her daughter's marriage prospects) in jeopardy. Elwood's forced commitment to a psychiatric hospital seems like a last resort. But she hasn't reckoned with Harvey...

My friend Harvey

In 2025, the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra and its audience will welcome a very special New Year: October marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss II. All the more reason to start the New Year with the most popular waltzes and polkas of the Viennese waltz king. The Klagenfurt New Year's Concert has become a well-established tradition and an integral part of Carinthia's cultural life – tickets are usually sold out by September. To meet the immense demand, the program will be performed twice this year.

From Klagenfurt to Hollywood and far beyond, Nicholas Milton and the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra, along with the breathtakingly expressive Mary Carewe, will transport the audience to this unique evening of Oscar-winning film music. Presenting the most beautiful melodies and songs from the biggest blockbusters of the past decades, you'll experience breakfast with Audrey Hepburn at Tiffany's, dance for your life with Irene Cara, and set sail with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet aboard the Titanic (doors with room for two will be provided!).

An Evening at the Oscars

It's an unforgettable highlight of American comedy: Whoopie Goldberg, a washed-up showgirl on the run from gangsters, is forced to hide in a convent. To her own surprise, as well as that of the stern Mother Superior, she brings spiritual energy to the ossified convent through music.

Sister Act

For those who enjoy good old Viennese traditions with plenty of humor, but also a touch of morbidity, this concert and reading will certainly hit the right note. With popular classics such as "Der g'schupfte Ferdl" and "Tauben vergiften," Austrian actors and singers Bela Koreny,Karl Markovics, Julia Stemberger, Caroline Frank, Ethel Merhaut, and Wolf Bachofner pay homage to the Viennese cult musicians and cabaret artists Gerhard Bronner and Georg Kreisler.

100 years of Bronner and Kreisler

Momo, the girl who lives on the outskirts of a city in the ruins of an amphitheater, owns nothing but what she finds or what is given to her, but she has an extraordinary gift: she is a wonderful listener.

Momo

Do fairy tales always have happy endings? Is cheerfulness always joyful and lighthearted? In Gubaidulina's fairy-tale poem , a piece of school chalk dreams of drawing flowers and the sea. When its dream finally comes true, the chalk is so happy that it doesn't even notice it dissolving while drawing this beautiful world. Shostakovich, too, typically combines sweetness, melancholy, and bitterness in his symphonically structured First Violin Concerto. And for Petrushka, the Punch of the Russian fair, Stravinsky's joy and tragedy are also closely intertwined: He is murdered at the end, but his spirit bursts into merriment.

Petrushka

In A Thousand and One Tomorrows, Ilija Trojanow creates a passionate portrait of his courageous heroine, Cya. Like no other author, he combines narrative virtuosity and critical thinking to create a modern epic that transcends all boundaries, illuminates space and time, and dares to offer a fresh perspective on the future. With sensuous imagery and exuberant storytelling, Ilija Trojanow reinvents the utopian novel—a novel that speaks of the inexhaustible power of our thought. The two Wladigeroff Brothers accompany us on this journey into the world of A Thousand and One Tomorrows , providing their unique musical accompaniment to the author's reading.

Ilija Trojanow and Wladigeroff Brothers – »A Thousand and One Tomorrows«

In 2023, composer Gerd Kühr, born in Maria Luggau, Carinthia, in 1952, received the Grand Austrian State Prize. With  Stallerhof , the Klagenfurt City Theater is now staging the opera that marked Kühr's international breakthrough in 1988. Stallerhof is a relentless piece about the silence in peasant societies, about social constraints, but also about the unloved individual's irrepressible longing for love.

Stallerhof

In their work, the artists explore the history of artificial intelligence. The resulting questions— What does it mean to create art? What can productive collaboration with AI look like? Is this connection desirable?  —will be explored through a conscious use of current AI technologies in compositional, performative, and visual areas. At the same time, the audience is offered the opportunity to influence the course of the performance. Thus, Mind Machines not only creates a unique experience of music and visuals, but also offers the audience a hand in critical and inspired engagement with the topic of artificial intelligence.

Mind Machines

Children aged three to twelve, accompanied by their parents, have the unique opportunity to sit next to a musician, listen to the music, and observe the performance at a rehearsal of the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra.

Right in the middle of the orchestra

Join us on a literary road trip! After the successful performances in spring 2024 at the Kammerlichtspiele Klagenfurt, we look forward to a reunion with the heroes of Mathias Spaan's compact and humorous version of The Nibelungen. The journey takes us from Burgundy to Iceland, from the Lower Rhine to Hungary. True to the original, the play touches on the pitfalls of the myth with a light, ironic critique.

The Nibelungs

Her voice was loved, her moods were feared: Maria Callas was the undisputed queen of opera, "la Divina." But the diva's enthusiasm for her students was limited.

Masterclass

Hunting horns, bird calls, songs without words: The opening of this year's concert season is entirely dedicated to musical Romanticism. The unbridled Romantic spirit is realized in Schumann's Cello Concerto. The slow, song-like middle movement is merely a brief moment of respite in the virtuoso battle of emotions unfolding between solo instrument and orchestra. Dramatic contrasts also characterize Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, which is one of his most popular works, not least because of its lively, roaring Hunting Scherzo. It begins with a mysterious horn call over string tremolo and ends in one of the most triumphant symphonic finales in history.

Romantic

Anyone who inevitably thinks of this sentence upon entering a men's clothing store is probably infected with Loriot in the most pleasant way. This sympathetic disease immediately leads to, upon seeing a submissive head waiter, an utterance of, "I wonder if you're going to interfere with my food?" and, on Christmas Eve, the self-evident, mantra-like, "There used to be more tinsel." You can't help it. You can't resist quoting Loriot incessantly. But you can also listen to the loving examination of the German bourgeois, knitted-vest-wearing character.

Stermann and Grissemann read Loriot's "The Egg is Hard"

What happens in the theater when there's no performance? What do the artists do in the morning? And how does one even become an artist? All these questions and more about the living "organism of theater" will find answers at the Vienna Municipal Theater Festival. There will be insights into the stage technology, props, workshops, and a diverse concert program. Peter Turrini will also be honored for his 80th birthday with a staged reading of his famous Rozznjogd . For the first time, there will also be a collaboration with music schools in the state of Carinthia and the Gustav Mahler Private University, and the winners of the ARTEDEA 2024 competition will be presented.

Come in! – Vienna Municipal Theatre Festival

Faced with an authoritarian state, opera singer Floria Tosca finds herself in a struggle for her freedom and dignity as a woman and a stage artist. In a spiral of fear and violence, the boundaries between stage and reality begin to blur in a paranoid way.

Tosca

Experience a stage orchestra rehearsal of Christoph Willibald Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice up close. Afterwards, we invite you to a discussion with directors Carolin Pienkos and Cornelius Obonya, as well as conductor Attilio Cremonesi.

Stage orchestra rehearsal »Orfeo ed Euridice«

Muldoon, a bug, is a snooper. Something's rotten in the garden. All the insects are behaving strangely. And when two ant soldiers invade the bar and summon Muldoon to be queen, Muldoon embarks on an adventure. The detective story captivates with its lovable and witty characters. Themes such as the pursuit of power and individuality, solidarity and friendship are explored in a humorous way.

The bug

The joint performance of renowned actress Katharina Stemberger with the talented musicians of Die Strottern showcases a powerful voice in contemporary Austrian literature. Stemberger, known from the television series SOKO Linz , will bring the stories of Zagreb-born, Klagenfurt-based author Anna Baar to life with her characteristic intensity and empathy. Baar's texts offer a fascinating insight into the world of a bilingual writer who explores the boundaries between cultures and identities.

A thousand times more beautiful than you – Anna Baar

In the new season, we plan to continue the discussions we conduct in our major stage productions in a series of discussions broadcast live on ORF Radio Kärnten. We want to open up new perspectives on the big questions raised in the works we present, thus sparking ideas so that a visit to the theater doesn't go unnoticed and everyone can go home with new inspiration, images, and feelings. Our cooperation partner for these sparks is the Carinthian Summer Festival, whose artistic director Nadja Kayali will moderate the discussion evenings.

Sparks fly

The idyllic village of Maria Blut, with its pilgrimage chapel, lies a few hours by train from Vienna. It's the 1930s, a corporate state and civil war, Dollfuß is Chancellor, and the natives of the "Austrian Lourdes" are in a state of unrest. The canning factory is closing, and CEO Schellbach is trying to persuade the population to invest in his new product, Raumkraft (space power). Many are spending their last savings on it. When Schellbach shoots himself during a folk festival, a tremendous momentum develops: The alleged culprits are quickly found – and things are becoming extremely dangerous for them.

The natives of Maria Blut

From the Greek islands to the Basque Country and into the New World, Greek conductor Zoi Tsokanou transports us with the works of three composers who, using the means of the classical symphony orchestra, created monuments to their respective homelands. In his suite named after an island group in the Aegean Sea, Giannis Konstantinidis opens up a surprisingly entertaining world of sound. Maurice Ravel's cheerful piano concerto combines Basque folkloric sounds with bittersweet jazz, while the African-American composer Florence Price, in her first symphony, composed a mischievous yet majestic Juba dance instead of the classical Scherzo.

World leaps

In his new solo piece, Alfred Dorfer elegantly slips into a variety of characters in rapid succession. In addition to grandmothers and innkeepers, we also see bears, carp, and sunflowers. In EQUAL, a story is told with numerous narrative and temporal digressions. The temporal planes blur into one another, as do poetry and wit, philosophy and imagination. The mind-turner Alfred Dorfer is legendary for his bitter humor and merciless gaze, and through a characteristic form of performance, he has found his own personal style, which many consider incomparable.

Alfred Dorfer »SAME«

The young farmer Nemorino is head over heels in love with the beautiful and rich Adina, but he doesn't dare woo her. In the story of Tristan and Isolde, he sees the solution to his problem: a love potion is needed! When a company of soldiers, led by the macho Belcore, arrives in the village, time is of the essence, as Adina seems to take a liking to the self-confident sergeant. Just at that moment, the traveling physician Dulcamara arrives in the village, praising his medicine, which is supposed to cure all ailments. From him, Nemorino buys a bottle of Isolde's legendary love potion. Admittedly, Dulcamara has sold him nothing but a bottle of red wine, but to the quack's surprise, after a few complications, the drink achieves its desired result and unites the young lovers.

The love potion – L'elisir d'amore

This season, we are once again offering adults the unique opportunity to sit next to a musician at a KSO rehearsal, to listen and observe.

Right in the middle of the orchestra (adults)

Hospital, intensive care unit. A long-separated couple fears for the life of their son Jonah. The 9-year-old has been in a serious accident and is in a deep sleep. Will he die? How do we talk about our feelings? How do we talk about the situation? Is it even possible anymore: to talk to each other without accusations and hurt? The scenes of this reunion, which is also an encounter with dying, with death, oscillate between reckoning and rapprochement, tenderness and harshness, and between Twix and Bounty bars from the vending machine. Meanwhile, Jonah, far above the machines keeping him alive, experiences fantastic adventures. His companion in this world is Hannah, who is also in the intensive care unit.

Goodbye. A piece of hope

Experience a stage rehearsal of " Reunion: A Piece of Hope" with writer and director David Bösch.

Stage orchestra rehearsal "Reunion. A Piece of Hope"

The young people of Theaterspielclub I transport episodes from Greek mythology into the present day. Blunt, quirky, and highly topical. They find ideas together. Try things out together. Feel things together. Think together. Listen together. Observe together. Reflect together. Work together. Implement things together. Perform together. Working in theater is something we all share together—and that's precisely what fascinates us!

Myths – quite unashamed

Following their successful first collaboration for Tatort.Oper , ensemble minui and actress Christina Scherrer are devoting themselves to one of the greatest works in music history: Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung . The orchestra is reduced to nine musicians. With wit, irony, and critical insight, Christina Scherrer tells the gripping story of The Ring of the Nibelung from multiple perspectives, rediscovering the characters beyond classical clichés. With his arrangements, Stefan Potzmann, in his signature style, preserves the profundity of Wagner's music while simultaneously opening up new perspectives.

wagner.RING – epochal, minimal

Matchmaker finds herself – that's how you could succinctly summarize the story of Jerry Herman's hit musical. Fun-loving widow Dolly Meyer hires herself out as a matchmaker with a sensational success rate. No wonder that the extremely hard-to-match Horace Vandergelder from the New York suburb of Yonkers turns to her after he has decided to get married. Vandergelder may be rich, but he's extremely eccentric and thinks everyone is an idiot – except for himself, of course. Dolly quickly hatches a plan to marry the businessman herself, but first arranges a date for him with milliner Irene Molloy in New York. While Vandergelder is away on "business," his employees Cornelius and Barnaby decide to use their free time for a trip to the big city – where their first stop is Mrs. Molloy's millinery, where their boss is currently womanizing. So Dolly has her hands full trying to moderate the situation…

Hello, Dolly!

Join the ensemble and musicians of the KSO together with Mira Stadler (director) and Günter Wallner (musical director) at a stage orchestra rehearsal of the musical Hello, Dolly!.

Stage orchestra rehearsal "Hello, Dolly!"

Friendship and music make you strong! In the fourth installment of the popular Elephant Pups series, panda girl Mei Yue receives an invitation to China. But how is she supposed to get to the other side of the world? Luckily, there's the zoo orchestra! With its musical ideas, even the impossible becomes possible.

The Elephant Fart

In recognition of Nikolaus Fheodoroff's achievements, the Carinthian state government has awarded the composition prize named after him in various categories since 2013. Composers of all nationalities and ages were invited to submit works for solo quartet and orchestra for 2025. David Kosviner, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and living in Austria since 2011, received the award in 2025. His award-winning work, Sentiero, will be presented on June 14, 2026. The KSO and its chief conductor, Chin-Chao Lin, will accompany this world premiere with the three movements for string orchestra by the competition's dedicatee, as well as with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's brilliantly orchestrated Scheherazade Suite.

Stadttheater Klagenfurt

Jan 29, 2026

Stage orchestra rehearsal »Orfeo ed Euridice«

Jan 29 - Feb 6, 2026

The bug

Nov 30, 2025 - Jan 30, 2026

Orpheus in the Underworld

Jan 4 - Feb 20, 2026

Arsenic and Old Lace

Jan 25 - Mar 4, 2026

Orfeo and Euridice

Jan 25 - Mar 4, 2026

Orfeo and Euridice

Jan 4 - Feb 20, 2026

Arsenic and Old Lace

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