Concerts with works by

Giuseppe Verdi

Guest performance

Festival Élite 2025 – Inna KALUGINA

OTELLO

From raging sea storms emerges Otello, a victorious general serving Venice, who loves Desdemona. Against her father's will, she loves this man who shines in society but remains a stranger. Jago, consumed by envy, reveals his deceptive nature. He plants seeds of doubt, turning into nightmares and jealousy, consuming Otello and driving him mad. In a world of war and intrigue, Desdemona seeks a kindred spirit but finds death.

OTELLO

From raging sea storms emerges Otello, a victorious general serving Venice, who loves Desdemona. Against her father's will, she loves this man who shines in society but remains a stranger. Jago, consumed by envy, reveals his deceptive nature. He plants seeds of doubt, turning into nightmares and jealousy, consuming Otello and driving him mad. In a world of war and intrigue, Desdemona seeks a kindred spirit but finds death.

Verdi: Messa da Requiem / Sylvain Cambreling

»Grief and prayer, fear and hopeful confidence, they speak a more passionate and individual language here than we are used to hearing in church«, wrote the music critic Eduard Hanslick about Verdi’s Messa da Requiem in 1875. In fact, there is so much drama in the work that the Catholic Church initially protested against performances – it was far too secular. Together with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, the opulent work will be sung by the EuropaChorAkademie, a talent factory for the best young singers from all over Europe.

OTELLO

From raging sea storms emerges Otello, a victorious general serving Venice, who loves Desdemona. Against her father's will, she loves this man who shines in society but remains a stranger. Jago, consumed by envy, reveals his deceptive nature. He plants seeds of doubt, turning into nightmares and jealousy, consuming Otello and driving him mad. In a world of war and intrigue, Desdemona seeks a kindred spirit but finds death.

LA TRAVIATA

Love, jealousy, and death take center stage in Andreas Homoki and Frank Philipp Schlößmann's production of Verdi's opera. The minimalist staging emphasizes raw emotions and powerful music. Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Festival Élite 2025 – Inna KALUGINA

LA TRAVIATA

Love, jealousy, and death take center stage in Andreas Homoki and Frank Philipp Schlößmann's production of Verdi's opera. The minimalist staging emphasizes raw emotions and powerful music. Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Sparda Musiknacht 2025

The Sparda-Musiknacht combines supporting social projects with enjoying music. Since 2004, benefit concerts have been held at various venues in NRW, inspiring many with classical music. This year's concert takes place on March 5, 2025, at the Essen Philharmonic Hall, featuring the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Wolfram-Maria Märtig, performing classical masterpieces. Ticket proceeds are generously donated to charity.

Lorenzo Viotti and the Choir of The National Opera: Verdi’s Requiem

The Netherlands Philharmonic is one of the most versatile cultural organisations in The Netherlands. The orchestra organises a diverse concert program in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is a welcome guest on foreign stages and festivals. The Netherlands Philharmonic brings classical music to life at the highest level and collaborates closely with international guest soloists and conductors. It takes great pleasure in welcoming and developing new musical talent. Lorenzo Viotti is the principal conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic.

Lorenzo Viotti and the Choir of The National Opera: Verdi’s Requiem

The Netherlands Philharmonic is one of the most versatile cultural organisations in The Netherlands. The orchestra organises a diverse concert program in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is a welcome guest on foreign stages and festivals. The Netherlands Philharmonic brings classical music to life at the highest level and collaborates closely with international guest soloists and conductors. It takes great pleasure in welcoming and developing new musical talent. Lorenzo Viotti is the principal conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic.

Rigoletto

Never one to miss an opportunity to make fun of others, the hunchback jester Rigoletto is employed by the Duke of Mantua. His only joy in life is his daughter Gilda. When Rigoletto must witness how she falls for the calculated vows of love of the unscrupulous Duke, he is out for revenge: he hires the contract killer Sparafucile to murder the seducer. Gilda, however, sacrifices herself for her lover. Rigoletto realises that he has driven his daughter to death and destroyed his own life. Ever since the figure of Rigoletto walked onstage for the first time in Venice in 1851, his fate has moved audiences at opera houses everywhere. Giuseppe Verdi achieved world fame with the opera and its ubiquitous melodies – although it is a piece without heroes: thus Rigoletto, that cynical and lovesick father, joined the broad ranks of Verdi figures who are social outcasts and previously never had a voice in the history of opera. Director: Andreas Homoki Set and Costme Designer: Wolfgang Gussmann Lighting Designer: Manfred Voss Premiere: 16.10.1994

Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6

The Sunday Morning Concert brings you wonderful and much-loved compositions, performed by top musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music in the morning! You can make your Sunday complete by enjoying a delicious post-concert lunch in restaurant LIER.The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best concert halls in the world, famous for its exceptional acoustics and varied programme. Attend a concert and have an experience you will never forget. Come and enjoy inspiring music in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall or the intimate Recital Hall.

Rigoletto

Never one to miss an opportunity to make fun of others, the hunchback jester Rigoletto is employed by the Duke of Mantua. His only joy in life is his daughter Gilda. When Rigoletto must witness how she falls for the calculated vows of love of the unscrupulous Duke, he is out for revenge: he hires the contract killer Sparafucile to murder the seducer. Gilda, however, sacrifices herself for her lover. Rigoletto realises that he has driven his daughter to death and destroyed his own life. Ever since the figure of Rigoletto walked onstage for the first time in Venice in 1851, his fate has moved audiences at opera houses everywhere. Giuseppe Verdi achieved world fame with the opera and its ubiquitous melodies – although it is a piece without heroes: thus Rigoletto, that cynical and lovesick father, joined the broad ranks of Verdi figures who are social outcasts and previously never had a voice in the history of opera. Director: Andreas Homoki Set and Costme Designer: Wolfgang Gussmann Lighting Designer: Manfred Voss Premiere: 16.10.1994

Rigoletto

Never one to miss an opportunity to make fun of others, the hunchback jester Rigoletto is employed by the Duke of Mantua. His only joy in life is his daughter Gilda. When Rigoletto must witness how she falls for the calculated vows of love of the unscrupulous Duke, he is out for revenge: he hires the contract killer Sparafucile to murder the seducer. Gilda, however, sacrifices herself for her lover. Rigoletto realises that he has driven his daughter to death and destroyed his own life. Ever since the figure of Rigoletto walked onstage for the first time in Venice in 1851, his fate has moved audiences at opera houses everywhere. Giuseppe Verdi achieved world fame with the opera and its ubiquitous melodies – although it is a piece without heroes: thus Rigoletto, that cynical and lovesick father, joined the broad ranks of Verdi figures who are social outcasts and previously never had a voice in the history of opera. Director: Andreas Homoki Set and Costme Designer: Wolfgang Gussmann Lighting Designer: Manfred Voss Premiere: 16.10.1994

Rigoletto

Never one to miss an opportunity to make fun of others, the hunchback jester Rigoletto is employed by the Duke of Mantua. His only joy in life is his daughter Gilda. When Rigoletto must witness how she falls for the calculated vows of love of the unscrupulous Duke, he is out for revenge: he hires the contract killer Sparafucile to murder the seducer. Gilda, however, sacrifices herself for her lover. Rigoletto realises that he has driven his daughter to death and destroyed his own life. Ever since the figure of Rigoletto walked onstage for the first time in Venice in 1851, his fate has moved audiences at opera houses everywhere. Giuseppe Verdi achieved world fame with the opera and its ubiquitous melodies – although it is a piece without heroes: thus Rigoletto, that cynical and lovesick father, joined the broad ranks of Verdi figures who are social outcasts and previously never had a voice in the history of opera. Director: Andreas Homoki Set and Costme Designer: Wolfgang Gussmann Lighting Designer: Manfred Voss Premiere: 16.10.1994

Il trovatore

For Leonora, the song of the troubadour Manrico holds the promise and glow of love; Manrico's rival Count Luna perceives in it threat and danger. Verdi's opera is a celebration of Italian opera singing at its best - so it is no coincidence that the title character is a singer himself. And yet for the composer, Azucena, Manrico's mother, was the real protagonist. Il trovatore is rich in dramatic intricacies and intense emotions, which Verdi abruptly juxtaposes in images and scenes. Tragedy relentlessly unfolds before our eyes and ears until the truth is revealed in the opera's final seconds. Stage: Alex Eales Costumes: Herbert Murauer Lighting: James Farncombe Video: Philipp Contag-Lada Dramaturgy: Ralf Waldschmidt Chorus: Christian Günther

Il trovatore

For Leonora, the song of the troubadour Manrico holds the promise and glow of love; Manrico's rival Count Luna perceives in it threat and danger. Verdi's opera is a celebration of Italian opera singing at its best - so it is no coincidence that the title character is a singer himself. And yet for the composer, Azucena, Manrico's mother, was the real protagonist. Il trovatore is rich in dramatic intricacies and intense emotions, which Verdi abruptly juxtaposes in images and scenes. Tragedy relentlessly unfolds before our eyes and ears until the truth is revealed in the opera's final seconds. Stage: Alex Eales Costumes: Herbert Murauer Lighting: James Farncombe Video: Philipp Contag-Lada Dramaturgy: Ralf Waldschmidt Chorus: Christian Günther

Falstaff

Sir John Falstaff is an anarchist who obeys only the reign of his own enjoyment, an egoist who feeds only his power-hunger and his own flesh, and who would prefer to raze the small-minded morals of his contemporaries like the walls of a fortress – by seducing two women at the same time. Needless to say, his plan is thwarted, but those trying to expose him also fail to emerge unruffled from the confusion they unleash around him – which only the audience can keep track of, barely. “Tutto nel mondo è burla,” but these jokes are only funny because falling into the abyss actually does pose quite a serious risk. Arrigo Boito, the librettist of “Otello”, distilled a sophisticated, ingenious libretto from Shakespeare’s original, driving Verdi to highly complex compositional heights. Director: Calixto Bieito Set Designer: Susanne Gschwender Costume Designer: Anja Rabes Dramaturgy: Bettina Auer Lighting Designer: Michael Bauer Premiere: January 19th 2020

Il trovatore

For Leonora, the song of the troubadour Manrico holds the promise and glow of love; Manrico's rival Count Luna perceives in it threat and danger. Verdi's opera is a celebration of Italian opera singing at its best - so it is no coincidence that the title character is a singer himself. And yet for the composer, Azucena, Manrico's mother, was the real protagonist. Il trovatore is rich in dramatic intricacies and intense emotions, which Verdi abruptly juxtaposes in images and scenes. Tragedy relentlessly unfolds before our eyes and ears until the truth is revealed in the opera's final seconds. Stage: Alex Eales Costumes: Herbert Murauer Lighting: James Farncombe Video: Philipp Contag-Lada Dramaturgy: Ralf Waldschmidt Chorus: Christian Günther

Falstaff

Sir John Falstaff is an anarchist who obeys only the reign of his own enjoyment, an egoist who feeds only his power-hunger and his own flesh, and who would prefer to raze the small-minded morals of his contemporaries like the walls of a fortress – by seducing two women at the same time. Needless to say, his plan is thwarted, but those trying to expose him also fail to emerge unruffled from the confusion they unleash around him – which only the audience can keep track of, barely. “Tutto nel mondo è burla,” but these jokes are only funny because falling into the abyss actually does pose quite a serious risk. Arrigo Boito, the librettist of “Otello”, distilled a sophisticated, ingenious libretto from Shakespeare’s original, driving Verdi to highly complex compositional heights. Director: Calixto Bieito Set Designer: Susanne Gschwender Costume Designer: Anja Rabes Dramaturgy: Bettina Auer Lighting Designer: Michael Bauer Premiere: January 19th 2020

La Traviata

Violetta is the most sought-after courtesan of the Parisian demimonde. However, her encounter with Alfredo makes her pleasure-seeking life seem questionable: they fall in love and try to build a life for themselves, far from the fast pleasures of the city. Her past, however, catches up with Violetta. Alfredo’s father persuades her that a separation is the only way to restore his family honour. Alfredo, unaware of the true reasons for her decision, insults Violetta in public. When they are finally reunited, Violetta has run out of time. Giuseppe Verdi was on the lookout for such a provocative, innovative tale when he encountered the novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas the Younger. In the spring of 1852 he saw the “Lady of the Camellias” as a play adapted by the writer himself at the Vaudeville Theatre in Paris. The impression this made on him strengthened his resolve to use the tale for his next opera; the story gave him an opportunity to reformulate his grand theme: love defeated by the resistance of society. Director: Johannes Erath Stage Designer: Annette Kurz Costume Designer: Herbert Murauer Lighting Designer: Olaf Freese Dramaturgy: Francis Hüsers Premiere: 17.02.2013

Il trovatore

For Leonora, the song of the troubadour Manrico holds the promise and glow of love; Manrico's rival Count Luna perceives in it threat and danger. Verdi's opera is a celebration of Italian opera singing at its best - so it is no coincidence that the title character is a singer himself. And yet for the composer, Azucena, Manrico's mother, was the real protagonist. Il trovatore is rich in dramatic intricacies and intense emotions, which Verdi abruptly juxtaposes in images and scenes. Tragedy relentlessly unfolds before our eyes and ears until the truth is revealed in the opera's final seconds. Stage: Alex Eales Costumes: Herbert Murauer Lighting: James Farncombe Video: Philipp Contag-Lada Dramaturgy: Ralf Waldschmidt Chorus: Christian Günther

Falstaff

Sir John Falstaff is an anarchist who obeys only the reign of his own enjoyment, an egoist who feeds only his power-hunger and his own flesh, and who would prefer to raze the small-minded morals of his contemporaries like the walls of a fortress – by seducing two women at the same time. Needless to say, his plan is thwarted, but those trying to expose him also fail to emerge unruffled from the confusion they unleash around him – which only the audience can keep track of, barely. “Tutto nel mondo è burla,” but these jokes are only funny because falling into the abyss actually does pose quite a serious risk. Arrigo Boito, the librettist of “Otello”, distilled a sophisticated, ingenious libretto from Shakespeare’s original, driving Verdi to highly complex compositional heights. Director: Calixto Bieito Set Designer: Susanne Gschwender Costume Designer: Anja Rabes Dramaturgy: Bettina Auer Lighting Designer: Michael Bauer Premiere: January 19th 2020

Springtime from Vienna

Festival Élite 2025 – Margaux LOIRE

Ollikainen & Stoyanova

»The omnipotent corruptor of taste in Italy.« »Immaturity, tastelessness, and ugliness.« Quite some impudence, what Verdi heard from Wagner conductor Hans von Bülow in 1874. Another critic found: »After all, isn’t the Italian entitled to ask whether he is allowed to speak Italian with God?« And for Verdi, this is how speaking with God about death in Italian goes: happy for some theatrics, but the Mass should by no means sound »like an opera«. Whether he succeeded—everyone will have to judge for themselves.

La Traviata

Violetta is the most sought-after courtesan of the Parisian demimonde. However, her encounter with Alfredo makes her pleasure-seeking life seem questionable: they fall in love and try to build a life for themselves, far from the fast pleasures of the city. Her past, however, catches up with Violetta. Alfredo’s father persuades her that a separation is the only way to restore his family honour. Alfredo, unaware of the true reasons for her decision, insults Violetta in public. When they are finally reunited, Violetta has run out of time. Giuseppe Verdi was on the lookout for such a provocative, innovative tale when he encountered the novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas the Younger. In the spring of 1852 he saw the “Lady of the Camellias” as a play adapted by the writer himself at the Vaudeville Theatre in Paris. The impression this made on him strengthened his resolve to use the tale for his next opera; the story gave him an opportunity to reformulate his grand theme: love defeated by the resistance of society. Director: Johannes Erath Stage Designer: Annette Kurz Costume Designer: Herbert Murauer Lighting Designer: Olaf Freese Dramaturgy: Francis Hüsers Premiere: 17.02.2013

La Traviata

Violetta is the most sought-after courtesan of the Parisian demimonde. However, her encounter with Alfredo makes her pleasure-seeking life seem questionable: they fall in love and try to build a life for themselves, far from the fast pleasures of the city. Her past, however, catches up with Violetta. Alfredo’s father persuades her that a separation is the only way to restore his family honour. Alfredo, unaware of the true reasons for her decision, insults Violetta in public. When they are finally reunited, Violetta has run out of time. Giuseppe Verdi was on the lookout for such a provocative, innovative tale when he encountered the novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas the Younger. In the spring of 1852 he saw the “Lady of the Camellias” as a play adapted by the writer himself at the Vaudeville Theatre in Paris. The impression this made on him strengthened his resolve to use the tale for his next opera; the story gave him an opportunity to reformulate his grand theme: love defeated by the resistance of society. Director: Johannes Erath Stage Designer: Annette Kurz Costume Designer: Herbert Murauer Lighting Designer: Olaf Freese Dramaturgy: Francis Hüsers Premiere: 17.02.2013

La Traviata

Violetta is the most sought-after courtesan of the Parisian demimonde. However, her encounter with Alfredo makes her pleasure-seeking life seem questionable: they fall in love and try to build a life for themselves, far from the fast pleasures of the city. Her past, however, catches up with Violetta. Alfredo’s father persuades her that a separation is the only way to restore his family honour. Alfredo, unaware of the true reasons for her decision, insults Violetta in public. When they are finally reunited, Violetta has run out of time. Giuseppe Verdi was on the lookout for such a provocative, innovative tale when he encountered the novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas the Younger. In the spring of 1852 he saw the “Lady of the Camellias” as a play adapted by the writer himself at the Vaudeville Theatre in Paris. The impression this made on him strengthened his resolve to use the tale for his next opera; the story gave him an opportunity to reformulate his grand theme: love defeated by the resistance of society. Director: Johannes Erath Stage Designer: Annette Kurz Costume Designer: Herbert Murauer Lighting Designer: Olaf Freese Dramaturgy: Francis Hüsers Premiere: 17.02.2013