The Graz Opera (German: Oper Graz) is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Graz. The orchestra of the opera house also performs concerts as the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester).
Opera had been performed in Graz since the 17th century, originally in a converted coach house on the Habsburg royal estates. The National Theatre (Schauspielhaus Graz), constructed in 1776, saw many early performances of Mozart's operas, although today (after many reconstructions) it is devoted to the performances of plays. [1]
The city's first dedicated opera house and the immediate predecessor of the Graz Opera was the Thalia Theatre, adapted in 1864 from an old circus hall. Plans for a new theatre suitable to the growing size and importance of the city and intended to be a "new home for German art" were first proposed in 1887. [2]
Designed by Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer in the neo-baroque style, the Graz Opera was inaugurated in 1899 with a performance of Schiller's play William Tell , followed a few days later by Wagner's opera Lohengrin . The building suffered damage during World War II bombings but was repaired and re-opened after the war. Between 1983 and 1985, it underwent a $15 million renovation which saw the installation of modern equipment and facilities without significantly changing the original exterior and interior of the building. [3]
The current Intendantin of the company is Nora Schmid, since 1 January 2015, in succession to Elisabeth Sobotka. [4] Schmid is scheduled to stand down as Intendantin after the 2022–2023 season. [5] In November 2021, the company announced the appointment of Ulrich Lenz as its next Intendant, effective with the 2023–2024 season. [6]
Past general music directors (GMD) of the company have included Niksa Bareza (1981–1990), Philippe Jordan (2001–2004), Johannes Fritzsch (2006–2013), and Dirk Kaftan (2013–2017). [7] In the autumn of 2016, Oksana Lyniv made her first guest-conducting appearance with the company, in a production of La traviata . In February 2017, the company announced the appointment of Lyniv as its next GMD, effective with the 2017–2018 season. Lyniv is the first female conductor to be named GMD of Graz Opera. [8] She concluded her tenure in Graz at the end of the 2019–2020 season. In December 2018, the company announced the appointment of Roland Kluttig as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 3 seasons. [9] [10] Kluttig is scheduled to conclude his tenure at the close of the 2022–2023 season. In December 2022, the company announced the appointment of Vassilis Christopoulos as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2023–2024 season. [11]
The Hamburg State Opera is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current Intendant of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current Generalmusikdirektor of the company is Kent Nagano.
The Komische Oper Berlin is a German opera company based in Berlin. The company produces operas, operettas and musicals.
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden. It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the Theaterplatz near the Elbe River in the historic centre of Dresden, Germany.
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house and also home to the Berlin State Ballet.
The Vienna Symphony is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the Theater an der Wien.
The Oper Frankfurt is a German opera company based in Frankfurt.
Zürich Opera is a Swiss opera company based in Zürich. The company gives performances in the Zürich Opera House.
The Staatskapelle Halle is a German symphony orchestra based in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Part of the umbrella organisation Theater, Oper und Orchester GmbH Halle, the orchestra performs symphonic concerts, and also serves as the orchestra for the Oper Halle.
Philippe Jordan is a Swiss conductor and pianist.
Johannes Fritzsch is a German conductor.
Andrés Orozco-Estrada is a Colombian violinist and conductor, with dual nationality in Colombia and Austria.
The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra is a German orchestra based in Nuremberg. Its principal concert venue is the Meistersingerhalle. The orchestra's current Intendant is Lucius A. Hemmer, since September 2003.
Roland Kluttig is a German conductor.
Omer Meir Wellber is an Israeli conductor and composer.
The Theater Erfurt is a German municipal theatre located in Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. The main stage is in a building in the Brühlervorstadt, completed in 2003. The theatre offers musical theatre and concerts, played by the Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt. Ballet and plays are offered by guest performances. The company organizes the annual open air festival DomStufen. The theatre's current Generalintendant, Guy Montavon, has held the post since 2002.
Dirk Kaftan is a German opera and concert conductor.
The Beethoven Orchester Bonn is a German symphony orchestra based in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia. It dates back to 1907, when a professional orchestra was established. Named for Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in Bonn, the orchestra's principal concert venue is the Beethovenhalle.
Oksana Lyniv is a Ukrainian conductor.
Dshamilja Kaiser is a German operatic mezzo-soprano. She has been performing at the Oper Bonn since 2017.
Thomas Guggeis is a German conductor and pianist. He is Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Oper Frankfurt.