Explore a fresh take on the classic Cinderella story! Inspired by Johann Strauss’s unfinished ballet, Axel Ranisch and Martina Eisenreich dream up a unique operetta that blends the original ballet’s history with a modern twist on the fairy tale. Cinderella’s Dream invites the audience on a magical journey of self-discovery, liberation, creativity, and the power of imagination. Martina Eisenreich’s music captures Johann Strauss’s artistic spirit, weaving in familiar motifs while creating a completely original musical world, which conductor Leslie Suganandarajah brings to life formidably: “The orchestra mastered the genre shifts in Eisenreich’s score, which elegantly combined Strauss, feel-good film music and twelve-tone echoes” (Die Presse). ” An accessible, entertaining, contemporary approach to the world of the Waltz King .” (Der Standard)
Salzburg Festival 2025: Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Handel’s gripping Baroque opera comes to life as a high-stakes drama of power, passion and intrigue. Dmitri Tcherniakov’s “powerful” (Kurier) production sets political rivalry against a fiery love story in the confines of an underground bunker. Christophe Dumaux is a thrilling Cesare, “with his mercurial countertenor and pointed acting” (Der Standard). At his side, Olga Kulchynska gives her Salzburg debut as a “lyrical” Cleopatra: “Bright high notes, precise filigree technique, youthful freshness: she has it all” (Salzburger Nachrichten). The rest of the cast is equally “superb” (Der Standard), above all Lucile Richardot as Cornelia “with her smouldering mezzo” (BR Klassik) and Federico Fiorio as her son Sesto. Baroque specialist Emmanuelle Haïm conducts her orchestra Le Concert d’Astrée from the harpsichord, “completely in her element” (Salzburger
Nachrichten). A scenic and musical collaboration full of intensity, imagination and electrifying theatre.
Iolanta
“Lyrical, rich, uplifting, moving” (Die Presse) In a production that is truly “a feast for the eyes” (Salzburger Nachrichten), director Evgeny Titov sets the story of the blind princess Iolanta in a visually magnificent but mysterious flower garden. The musical performances complete this baroque painting come to life, led by Sonya Yoncheva with her “gloriously rich” (Opera Now) soprano. The orchestra under Tugan Sokhiev convices with a “sonically intense” interpretation (Kronenzeitung). “Titov’s staging received heroic performances from all concerned, led by Yoncheva who absolutely sang her heart out as Iolanta. Her top was thrilling, matched in duet by tenor Dmytro Popov, and her acting was utterly believable” (Opera Now)
Tannhäuser
Wagner’s grand romantic opera Tannhäuser explores the tension between earthly desire and spiritual purity. Torn between Venus and Elisabeth, Tannhäuser represents the Romantic struggle between indulgence and guilt, with themes of love and redemption that still resonate. Lydia Steier’s production moves through Venus’ world as a variety show, the ordered society of Wartburg Castle, and a contemporary media-driven landscape. Staatsoper debutant Clay Hilley as Tannhäuser is the shining star of this new production: “Even in the most powerful forte, his voice shines so effortlessly that one thinks he still has reserves to draw on. In terms of character, Hilley shows his inner turmoil very clearly, and his stage presence is that of a professional spoken theatre actor” (Bachtrack). Günther Groissböck as Landgrave Hermann and Malin Byström as Elisabeth also deliver “vocal highlights” (Concerti). In the pit, Philippe Jordan allowed “this masterpiece to resound in all ist splendour and beauty” (Der Opernfreund).
Cagliostro – Johann Strauss in the Circus Tent
Combining pop, musical theatre and circus spectacle, author Thomas Brezina and composer Johnny Bertl have created a new musical performance based on motifs from Strauss’ operetta Cagliostro in Vienna. In the big top of the famous circus Roncalli, daring acrobatic acts meet famous Strauss melodies to tell the story of the magician and con man Caglistro. A unique experience for the whole family that “succeeds in transferring the entertainment value of a Strauss operetta to the present day” (Salzburger Nachrichten). “When circus and operetta come together, a new piece of Viennese cultural history is the result” (Kurier)
Bregenz Festival 2025: Oedipe
It is George Enescu’s only opera: the Romanian composer struggled for years with the greatest of all tragedies, the myth of Oedipus, who kills his father and marries his mother because the gods have predestined it so. The new Bregenz production of the work is directed by the internationally renowned director Andreas Kriegenburg, who, together with set designer Harald B. Thor and costume designer Tanja Hofmann, dedicates each of the four independently narrated acts to an element: fire, water, air and earth, combined with archaic materials such as wood, clay and simple fabric, but also bare skin. Finnish star conductor Hannu Lintu, who will be appearing at the Bregenz Festival for the first time, will conduct the music. “Gorgeous, stately, incandescent” (Los Angeles Times)
Salzburg Festival 2024: The Idiot
Weinberg’s final opera, based on Dostoevsky’s novel, condenses the plot without losing its psychological depth. Prince Myshkin, mentally ill yet believing in goodness, meets merchant Rogózhin on a train, sparking a tale of dependence, madness, and murder. The opera, rediscovered in the last decade, presents the composer Weinberg as Shostakovich’s equal. The Idiot, composed in 1986-1989, now staged in Salzburg, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla, brings the world of literature to the opera stage. The excellent cast of singers contributes to make the production a great success. Bogdan Volkov “expressive lyrical tenor touches intimately in the piano and yet remains able to cope with all orchestral storms” (BR Klassik).
Salzburg Festival 2024: The Gambler
Based on a short novel by Dostoyevsky, Prokofiev’s The Gambler unfolds in the fictional casino town of Roulettenburg, where a variety of characters converge and clash. These characters include a General indebted to a covetous Marquis, the General’s resentful stepdaughter Polina, and Alexey, who harbors feelings for her. Director Peter Sellars, known for his insightful interpretations of overlooked masterpieces, challenges us to mirror the bravery of Dostoyevsky and Prokofiev – the courage to confront our inner darkness. The musical direction of Russian conductor Timur Zangiev shines together with the vocal performances of the exceptional cast:”Asmik Grigorian portraying a passionate Polina, and Sean Panikkar delivering a powerful performance as Alexei” (Financial Times).
Salzburg Festival 2024: Simon Rattle conducts Mahler 6
The concert is the culmination of the 2024 Salzburg Festival with the BRSO and Simon Rattle taking the stage. Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, known for its tragic and dramatic elements, marks the end of the festival at the Großes Festspielhaus with a symphonic performance that ranges from tranquil countryside depictions to profoundly emotional moments.
Im Weissen Rössl
Ralph Benatzky’s cult classic operetta The White Horse Inn, a romantic comedy set in the picturesque Salzkammergut in Austria, has enjoyed great success around the world, with countless productions on Broadway, in the West End, Paris and Berlin. At the Vienna Volksoper, Jan Philipp Gloger stages the work as a witty criticism against modern mass tourism while preserving the charm of the work, which lovingly pokes fun at German and Austrian sensibilities: “Gloger finds (…) a contemporary exuberance that makes fun of all kinds of things that deserve it” (Kurier). Annette Dasch “sparkles both vocally and comedically” (Kronenzeitung) as the snappy innkeeper of the ‘Rössl’ opposite Jakob Semotan, who sings her head waiter with “bright and balmy” tones (Der Standard). The rest of the ensemble is engaging and funny throughout, including actor Götz Schubert as the Berlin manufacturer Giesecke and beloved German entertainer Harald Schmidt, who delights the Viennese audience with his Swabian dialect as eco-tourist Prof. Dr. Hinzelmann – a great success!