Wiener Staatsoper | News Music & Opera

Alessandra Ferri robs Laurent Hilaire for the Wiener Staatsballett!

admin_mowp — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:55:09 +0000

Alessandra Ferri, the legendary étoile of Milan’s La Scala, is poised to write a dazzling new chapter in her illustrious career as she takes up the role of Artistic Director of the Wiener Staatsballett. From 1st September 2025, the renowned Viennese ballet company will embark on a bold new journey, as Martin Schläpfer — who has led the troupe since 2020 — has opted not to renew his contract with the Austrian institution.

Recognised as a prima ballerina assoluta, Alessandra Ferri has left an indelible mark on the stages of the Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and La Scala. Beyond her international acclaim as a dancer, she has also distinguished herself as a répétiteur and mentore, guiding some of today’s most prominent stars in the ballet world. Her appointment heralds a new era and a daring artistic vision for Vienna’s ballet scene.

And she isn’t wasting any time: Alessandra Ferri has already enticed three principal dancers from the Bayerisches Staatsballett — Madison Young, António Casalinho, and Margarita Fernandes — to follow her to Vienna. This high-profile transfer, orchestrated from the company led by Laurent Hilaire (the former dazzling étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet), underscores the new director’s ambition to elevate the artistic excellence of the Wiener Staatsballett.

Before handing over the reins, Martin Schläpfer will unveil his final creations. From 21st April 2025 through to June, ballet lovers will witness Pathétique, a programme that places Schläpfer’s choreography alongside works by George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham.

These performances will mark the end of one era and the stirring dawn of another — a new era we imagine to be deeply inspired by the poetic and visionary spirit of Alessandra Ferri.

To attend the programme of the Wiener Staatsballett, click here!

Alessandra Ferri & Laurent Hilaire – c – Amber Hunt & Julian Baumann

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The Most Famous Viennese Director Passed Away

admin_mowp — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:30:29 +0000

On January 9, 2025, Viennese director Otto Schenk passed away at the age of 94.

He left an indelible mark on the world of opera with his remarkable productions, which have been performed across the global opera stage. The Met Opera in New York fondly remembers his grand Wagner productions, just as the Wiener Staatsoper continues to preserve his legacy.

This season, in addition to the recordings made freely available on the Austrian opera’s website, audiences can experience his stagings of Fidelio by Beethoven in February 2025 (featuring Michael Spyres and Bryn Terfel), L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti in March (with Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga), Andrea Chénier by Giordano in April (starring Michael Fabiano, Sonya Yoncheva, and Luca Salsi), and finally, arguably his greatest masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss in June (with Lise Davidsen, Emily D’Angelo, and Sabine Devieilhe). Another iconic production, J. Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, has returned annually every December since 1979.

To see Otto Schenk’s productions at the Wierner Staatsoper, click here!

Der Rosenkavalier – c – Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Poehn

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Vienna loses its Ariadne thread with Netrebko!

admin_mowp — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 09:12:46 +0000

The major event of the Viennese season at the Staatsoper almost didn’t take place. Anna Netrebko’s debut in the title role of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, originally scheduled for January 21, 2025, will not occur on that date.

The artist is not ready, but the production has been saved thanks to Lise Davidsen, another superstar soprano, who will replace her. Indeed, Anna Netrebko explained that she is “sad that [she] will not be interpreting this incredible new role but, because of the time unexpectedly lost, [she is] unable to prepare it to the standard [she] demand of [herself]”.

Fans of the diva need not worry: “Bogdan Roščić (editor’s note: the director of the Vienna Opera) and [she] are working to find a new period as soon as possible for [her] to sing it in Vienna.”

One’s misfortune is another’s good fortune, as Lise Davidsen, an artist highly renowned in the Wagnerian and Straussian repertoire, will take on the performances alongside Michael Spyres as Bacchus, Kate Lindsey as the Komponist, and Sara Blanch as Zerbinetta.

To be part of the public of Anna Netrebko’s other performances, go to our website!

Netrebko Anna © Rubio Dalmau Olga

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The new Puccinian in Vienna is Russian

admin_mowp — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 09:00:59 +0000

Elena Stikhina (one of the 2016 winners of the Operalia Competition) continues her faultless career, notably as a special guest of the Wiener Staatsoper, a major international stage. The Russian soprano will be performing as Tosca on 2, 5 and 10 February 2024 before taking on the two heroines of Il Trittico, another superb masterpiece by Puccini. Under the musical direction of Philippe Jordan, she will perform as Giorgetta in Il Tabarro and then the deeply moving Suor Angelica in the opera of the same name, from 14 to 24 February 2024. The great Puccini year in Vienna seems to have found its major perfomer!

Discover all upcoming performances with Elena Stikhina

Elena Stikhina © Ksenia Paris

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Alessandra Ferri makes Vienna dance

admin_mowp — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:00:09 +0000

The great prima ballerina assoluta Alessandra Ferri has just been appointed the new director of the Vienna Opera Ballet. From 1 September 2025, she will succeed Martin Schläpfer, who has decided not to renew his contract. The Etoile will take over the artistic direction of the ballet company (and also that of the Wiener Staatsoper Ballet Academy), which is organised as an independent joint venture between the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper.

Born in Milan, Alessandra Ferri was a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet and the American Ballet Theater, before becoming prima ballerina assoluta at La Scala in Milan. Invited by the world’s leading companies, she has worked with the greatest choreographers, who have created works especially for her.

“Her vast experience, her natural leadership qualities and her exceptional career as one of the great prima dancers of our time make her the ideal person to lead our Vienna Ballet” says Lotte de Beer, Director of the Vienna Volksoper.

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A Viennese honour for Thielemann

admin_mowp — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 08:00:02 +0000

Following a performance of Richard Strauss‘s Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Wiener Staatsoper on 14 October 2023, conductor Christian Thielemann (who is particularly in the news after being appointed to replace Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin) has been made an Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera. Since his debut in 1987 with Così fan tutte, he has conducted more than 60 performances in the pit of the prestigious Austrian opera house.

See all the performances at the Wiener Staatsoper here

Christian Thielemann © Matthias Creutziger

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Three times more opera in Vienna

admin_mowp — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:00:17 +0000

A new production is always an event at the Wiener Staatsoper. What can we say when we’re talking about three operas! On 4 October 2023, Austria’s leading opera house will welcome Puccini’s Il trittico. Philippe Jordan conducts the three operas that make up this famous triptych in one evening: Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi in Tatjana Gürbaca‘s new production, with Anja Kampe, Michael Volle, Eleonora Buratto, Ambrogio Maestri and the revelation Serena Sáenz in the leading roles.

Find your tickets for Il trittico here.

Il Trittico (c) Wiener Staatsoper

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The hounored Erwin Schrott

admin_mowp — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:00:00 +0000

At the end of a performance of Tosca in which he performed as the terrifying Scarpia, the warm Uruguayan bass-baritone Erwin Schrott received a fine tribute from the Wiener Staatsoper. The leading Austrian opera house and one of the most prestigious in Europe has named him Kammersänger, an honour that rewards a fine career and many performances still to come, in Vienna (where he has already performed more than 80 times) but also elsewhere…

See all Erwin Schrott’s upcoming performances

(c) Dario Acosta

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Asmik Grigorian is the new star of Vienna

admin_mowp — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 08:00:00 +0000

From 9 October 2022, the Vienna State Opera will revive David Pountney‘s production (created in 2002) of Leos Janácek‘s masterpiece to offer a role to the new star of sopranos. Jenufa will be performed by Asmik Grigorian, an exceptional voice and exemplary actress.

Conductor Tomáš Hanus, a great specialist of the repertoire, made his debut at the Vienna Opera in 2017 with Dvořák’s Rusalka, the other renowned Czech composer.

Find your ticket here

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Vienna gets its opera house back but no ball

admin_mowp — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:30:08 +0000

As in the rest of Austria, the Wiener Staatsoper has closed its doors to avoid contamination. The good news is that the legendary Viennese opera house is reopening its doors to the public and will welcome its audience again from this evening, 13 December 2021. For safety reasons, it was decided to cancel the Vienna Opera Ball which was to be held in February. The 2023 festivities will be all the more intense…

Book your tickets for Wiener Staatsoper here

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