1 Dream with your eyes open Season 2026 – 2027 Nationale Opera & Ballet Season 2026 – 2027
Where wonder unfol Where wonde
olds Subsidients Main sponsor Partner Main sponsor Junior Company Production partner derunfolds
4 Welcome One theatre, sixteen hundred people. Strangers to one another, yet united by what unfolds on the Main Stage. That is the magic of opera and ballet. In September 2026, this theatre will celebrate its fortieth anniversary. Forty years filled with enchanting experiences that we are delighted to share with you again in the year ahead. With great pleasure, we present our 2026 – 2027 season. In this brochure, you will find the programme, along with reflections from various artists on their productions. Our new season features a wide range of ballet and opera productions on the Main Stage, as well as diverse programmes and youth performances in Studio Boekman. Relive the success of beloved classics, create new memories with modern masterpieces, and allow yourself to be surprised by bold productions from today’s most distinctive creators. We look forward to welcoming you to our theatre and to bringing opera and ballet to audiences across the country. Through touring productions and workshops in schools, current and future generations alike will have the opportunity to experience our art forms. This season marks a new chapter for Dutch National Ballet. Ernst Meisner succeeds Ted Brandsen as director and will shape the programming for the first time. At Dutch National Exciting collaborations and a new chapter
5 Stijn Schoonderwoerd General director Dutch National Opera & Ballet Sophie de Lint Director Dutch National Opera Ernst Meisner Director Dutch National Ballet Photos: Jan Willem Kaldenbach Photo: Altin Kaftira Opera, the season is filled with exciting collaborations with creators and companies from the Netherlands and abroad. By inspiring one another and embracing experimentation, we continue to develop productions of the highest level. This season has been possible thanks to the commitment of our funders, partners, sponsors, Patrons and Friends. With their support, we are able to create new productions, nurture emerging opera and ballet talent, and reach even more people through our educational programmes. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who makes our work possible. On behalf of everyone on and off the stage at Dutch National Opera & Ballet, we wish you a wonderful season.
6 Dutch National Opera Overview 10 Interview: director Sophie de Lint 12 Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana 16 Interview: soprano Corinne Winters 18 Cherry Town 20 Interview: director Jakop Ahlbom 22 Lennox 24 Johannes-Passion 26 Interview: conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón 28 Der fliegende Holländer 30 Interview: director Lotte de Beer and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green 32 The 10 + 1 Strings of Captain Ud 34 Salome 36 Orfeo ed Euridice 38 Opera Forward Festival (OFF) 40 OFF: Red Fox 42 OFF: interview composer Du Yun and director Barrie Kosky 44 OFF: Hedda Gabler 46 OFF: interview director Nina Spijkers and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Molinari 48 OFF: The Monster Trilogy 50 Iolanta 52 Impressions de Pelléas 54 Uprising 55 Norma 56 La damnation de Faust 58 Interview: choreographer/director Nanine Linning and tenor John Osborn 60 The Chorus of Dutch National Opera 62 Orchestras 64 Dutch National Ballet Overview 66 Interview: director Ernst Meisner 68 Legacies 72 Interview: choreographer Toer van Schayk 74 Contents
7 Swan Lake 76 Principal dancers on Swan Lake 78 Reflections 80 Cinderella 82 Costumes and props in Cinderella 84 Ballet Vibes 86 Prey 88 Interview: choreographers Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple 90 Metamorphosis 92 Sounds About Right 94 Play 96 Interview: choreographer Alexander Ekman 98 Gala 100 Interview: artistic director Junior Company Christopher Powney 102 Staff and dancers 104 Concertmasters on Dutch Ballet Orchestra 106 General Studio Boekman 110 Children, families and education 112 Support us 128 Staff and crew 130 Colophon 138 Practical information Season packages 8 Getting to the theatre 116 At the theatre 117 Ticket sales 118 Calendar 2026 – 2027 120 Dutch National Opera seating map 124 Dutch National Opera prices 125 Dutch National Ballet seating map 126 Dutch National Ballet prices 127
8 Behind the scenes of the ballet Mata Hari | Photo: Altin Kaftira
9 Whether you prefer the stalls or the balcony, love the buzz of a premiere or the ease of a Sunday matinee, as a season package holder, you’ll have complete freedom to choose. Enjoy priority access to your preferred dates and seats, book the entire season in one go, and skip the staggered ticket release schedule. You can start your season package with just two performances. More to enjoy A season package offers more than unforgettable performances alone. Before every performance in your package, you can collect a free programme book. And if you’ve selected opera perfomances, you’ll also enjoy three editions per year of Odeon, our Dutch magazine packed with in-depth features and exclusive interviews. It’s the perfect way to experience opera and ballet with added richness and insight. Best prices guaranteed Our dynamic pricing system means that ticket prices may increase, depending on demand, throughout the season. By creating your season package now, you not only secure early access but also often enjoy the best available prices. And if your A new season of opera and ballet awaits! With our season packages, you’ll have the opportunity to secure your favourite performances before the regular ticket sales begin, giving you first choice of the very best seats and letting the excitement begin early. Start your season package with just two performances plans change? You can easily exchange your tickets up to one day before the performance through our customer service team. Already a season package holder? You’ll soon receive a personal email with your exclusive link to order tickets. Scan for more information operaballet.nl/en/season-packages First choice of all performances, dates and seats
Opera
11 Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana Ruggero Leoncavallo / Pietro Mascagni 5 – 23 September 2026 page 16 Cherry Town Dmitri Shostakovich 8 – 20 October 2026 page 20 Lennox (8+) Bnnyhunna 10 – 17 October 2026 page 24 Johannes-Passion Johann Sebastian Bach 10 – 26 November 2026 page 26 Der fliegende Holländer Richard Wagner 3 – 27 December 2026 page 30 The 10 + 1 Strings of Captain Ud (6+) 13 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 page 34 Salome Richard Strauss 18 January – 6 February 2027 page 36 Orfeo ed Euridice Christoph Willibald Gluck 3 – 23 February 2027 page 38 Opera Forward Festival (OFF) Red Fox Du Yun 13 – 28 March 2027 page 42 Hedda Gabler Vasco Mendonça 19 – 25 March 2027 page 46 The Monster Trilogy Cassie Kinoshi 20 and 21 March 2027 page 50 Impressions de Pelléas Claude Debussy / Marius Constant 10 April – 1 May 2027 page 54 Tour of Dutch National Opera Studio Iolanta Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 16 April – 2 May 2027 page 52 Norma Vincenzo Bellini 12 May – 6 June 2027 page 56 Uprising Jonathan Dove 16 – 23 May 2027 page 55 La damnation de Faust Hector Berlioz 9 – 27 June 2027 page 58 Productions Dutch National Opera
12 Opera Interview The foundation of a new opera season, according to director Sophie de Lint? Shared artistic curiosity and many conversations with creators. “Together we search for something that is more than the sum of its parts.” Anyone reading through this new season brochure may notice it: alongside international artists, there are many creators from the Netherlands. Is that coincidence or a deliberate choice? “Both. We don’t work with artists because of where they come from, but because of their artistry”, says Sophie de Lint. “There are such extraordinary artists in the Netherlands. We try to follow as closely as possible what is happening here, from the work of emerging talents to that of established creators, including those from other disciplines. We begin conversations with makers we would like to collaborate with, and that becomes the starting point of a creative exchange. That exchange takes time. It often takes years before audiences see the result.” Cross-pollination The seeds of the production Cherry Town were planted in the early days of De Lint’s tenure at Dutch National Opera, when she met Swedish-Dutch theatre maker Jakop Ahlbom. “A colleague took me to one of his performances. It felt as though I was drawn into a surreal world: mysterious, poetic, with subtle humour. I was fascinated by Jakop’s virtuoso deployment of all the elements theatre has to offer, and I was curious how he might bring his craftsmanship and imagination into opera. It took some time to find the right opera, one that would allow him to fully unleash his artistic magic on stage. But when we began talking about Shostakovich’s operetta Cherry Town, everything fell into place: Jakop’s background in visual theatre and mime, the collaboration with ISH Dance Collective, the music. You can feel it when the moment is right.” What appeals to her in this new production is the cross-disciplinary exchange. “At Dutch National Opera, we don’t want to confine disciplines to separate boxes. It becomes exciting when different artistic languages strengthen one another. But that only works if everyone is given the time to truly understand each other’s world.” Artistic dialogues Such an exchange between artistic worlds also forms the basis of the new collaboration with choreographer and director Nanine Linning. “She had long expressed the wish to work in opera. When we invited her to direct Sophie de Lint on the new opera season “ In opera, what is deeply human takes on grand significance”
13 Samy Moussa’s Antigone in 2024, we saw, among other things, how skilfully she worked with our chorus.” That called for a continuation. “The new production of Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust brings many elements together: a large chorus, soloists, Nanine’s dancers from Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor and Berlioz specialist Stéphane Denève, and visual artist Levi van Veluw, with whom Nanine was eager to collaborate.” The collaboration with stage director Nina Spijkers also grew out of an ongoing artistic dialogue. “Nina is a daring director who excels at working with performers, and she loves to engage with classical titles. She also has an instinctive feel for music. When you meet an artist like that, something begins to stir. What could opera be for her, and she for opera?” That search resulted in Hedda Gabler, a new chamber opera by composer Vasco Mendonça. “We had been in conversation with Vasco for some time about adapting a literary work into opera. Nina has a deep affinity for Henrik Ibsen’s work. We realised that his play Hedda Gabler lends itself perfectly to operatic adaptation. It has an exceptionally strong structure and a protagonist who is as powerful as she is unsettling.” Matchmaking between artists This shows how several long-running conversations with different artists con- verge in a single project. “By bringing together the right personalities, something new can emerge. That kind of matchmaking between artists is one of the most inspiring aspects of my work.” The artists’ history with the company also plays a role. “Opera director Lotte de Beer is a wonderful example. She began here as a young talent, founded her own company, created some major productions for Dutch National Opera, works internationally, and now returns for Der fliegende Holländer. She approaches the title Photo: Bernd Uhlig Scene from Johannes-Passion directed by Sasha Waltz “We don’t want to confine disciplines to separate boxes”
14 alongside one of today’s leading opera conductors, Susanna Mälkki, who makes her debut with us and with the Netherlands Philharmonic.” When artistic chemistry proves successful, Dutch National Opera is keen to continue it, as with maestro Enrique Mazzola and director Jetske Mijnssen, who will take on the bel canto classic Norma. “It is wonderful to bring them together again after the Tudor Trilogy. Jetske’s sharp instinct for the psychological layers of characters and Enrique’s bel canto expertise create the golden combination this repertoire requires: musical brilliance and emotional depth. It is all the more fitting that the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra joins them again to continue its musical journey with Enrique.” Partnerships An international outlook is equally impor- tant when shaping a season. “I travel extensively, not only to see the work of directors, but also to hear singers and conductors in different repertoire. That is how you discover exciting combinations”, says De Lint. “It is an exhilarating life. I do it in collaboration with my team. Together we assemble the vast and complex puzzle that is a season. Ultimately, a season always arises from a dynamic interplay of artistic ambitions, availability, repertoire choices and partnerships.” Those partnerships are vital. “Take our unique collaboration with our five partner orchestras, each with its own character and artistic aspirations.” This season also includes collaborations with other ensembles, such as the Netherlands Bach Society. “It had long been a dream to work with them, particularly in this country where Bach is so deeply rooted.” The opportunity arose with a project by conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón and choreographer Sasha Waltz. “When I heard they were working together on the Johannes-Passion, I knew we had to be part of it, together with the Netherlands Bach Society. It is a project in which everything comes together: the Bach tradition, theatre, dance and singing. Sasha’s staging approaches the Passion as a collective ritual, emphasising shared experiences of loss, compassion and community.” Vulnerability as a thread Themes such as vulnerability and loss run through much of the programme. “In truth, almost every opera touches on these themes, but some titles do so more directly. Take Orfeo ed Euridice. Gluck’s masterpiece is so pure, so immediate. It is about grief, holding on and letting go. Director Ted Huffman approaches the work by focusing on that human dimension, translating the ancient myth into a recognisable situation.” Human fragility is also central to Iolanta. “Tchaikovsky’s final opera is a deeply moving fairy tale. It is about not knowing what you are missing, about protection from harsh truths, about whether you are ready to face the world as it truly is. Evgeny Titov’s direction is both razorsharp and deeply moving. Returning conductor Kwamé Ryan, who will lead the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, brings a keen sensitivity to Tchaikovsky’s musical language.” Then there is Red Fox, created by composer Du Yun and director Barrie Kosky for the Opera Forward Festival. “After several major repertoire titles with us, Barrie wanted to create something entirely new. When we introduced him to Du Yun, there was an immediate spark. They connected in conversation about music, theatre and art. Both draw from a wide range of sources, from pop culture to philosophy. The theme they arrived at is deeply intimate: love and life with dementia. They explore it through three stories that span the globe. This way, these intimate and deeply human stories take on grand significance and impact. Opera is an art form that lends itself to that beautifully.” Returning to Dutch National Opera Alongside world premieres and new productions, there are revivals, inclu- ding Salome and Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana. “They are magnificent reper- toire titles. In Strauss’ Salome, the intensity of music and drama creates searing tension from the very first notes. And the one-act operas Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana capture raw human emotion in sweeping music. Successful stagings of such works deserve to be revived, so they can reach a wider audience. But even then, it is a matter of finding the right moment, when the ideal constellation of artists can come together.” “The moment when everything comes together is astounding” “We actively seek partnerships beyond the opera world”
15 Such a moment arose with Salome. “As our former chief conductor Lorenzo Viotti was available with the Netherlands Philharmonic, with whom he shares a special bond, and as we were able to engage the exceptional Strauss interpreter Sara Jakubiak for her role debut as Salome, the timing was perfect.” The revival of Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana followed a similar line of thinking. “When it became clear that maestro Andrea Battistoni was available during this period, we knew we had someone who could bring the right energy to this diptych. We were also able to assemble an ideal cast. And it feels right that the Chorus of Dutch National Opera plays a central role in both the season’s opening in September and its closing in June.” Reaching wider audiences Dutch National Opera continually strives to reach the broadest possible audience. “That is why we invest in streaming our productions digitally, and collaborate with a wide range of partners, including other opera houses, orchestras and companies. We are part of the Dutch cultural ecosystem. We are not an island, and we actively seek partnerships beyond the Text: Wout van Tongeren | Photo: Hans van den Boogaard (portrait) Sophie de Lint Director Dutch National Opera opera world, not only to learn from and inspire one another, but above all, to enrich the art form and reach as diverse and extensive an audience as possible.” This season includes renewed collaboration with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra on the new youth production The 10 + 1 Strings of Captain Ud, in which different musical worlds converge. The touring production Impressions de Pelléas by the Dutch National Opera Studio, in collaboration with Nederlanse Reisopera and Opera Zuid, is another example of connection within the cultural landscape: a shared investment in talent development and audience engagement. Space for experimentation Opera takes many forms this season, both on the Main Stage and in Studio Boekman. “We constantly move between scales: from repertoire titles to new works, from youth and family performances to the community opera Uprising, involving various local choirs. Studio Boekman offers space for experimentation and new voices, such as The Monster Trilogy by British composer and jazz saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, and the revival of Lennox, both in collaboration with RIGHTABOUTNOW INC.” What ultimately gives her the most energy? She pauses. “It is the moment when everything feels aligned. When artists truly connect, when a work touches something in the audience, when you think: this had to happen here and now. That feeling, that shared concentration on something greater than the sum of its parts, is what we seek anew each season.” Scene from Pagliacci directed by Robert Carsen (2019) Photo: Matthias Baus
16 Opera Italian classics about love and jealousy
17 Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857–1919) / Pietro Mascagni (1863 –1945) “ A resounding hit. Passion, treachery, jealousy and murder” Trouw Revival Sung in Italian Musical direction Andrea Battistoni Stage direction Robert Carsen Set design Radu Boruzescu Costume design Annemarie Woods Lighting design Peter van Praet Choreography Marco Berriel Dramaturgy Ian Burton Pagliacci Drama in two acts Libretto: Ruggero Leoncavallo Nedda Corinne Winters Canio Riccardo Massi Tonio Roman Burdenko Silvio Hubert Zapiór Cavalleria rusticana Melodrama in one act Libretto: Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci Santuzza Raehann Bryce-Davis Turiddu SeokJong Baek Lucia Enkelejda Shkoza Alfio Roman Burdenko Lola Maria Warenberg Netherlands Philharmonic Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper Nieuw Amsterdams Children’s Chorus (part of Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam) Premiere 5/9/2026 Subsequent performances: 8, 11, 14, 17, 20*, 23 September 2026 | Curtain-up: 19:30 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone Infidelity, treachery and murder are the ingredients of the most famous diptych in Italian opera history: Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana. In these two short operas, obsessive love and jealousy drive the characters to extremes, with emotions running high. In both Pagliacci (1892) and Cavalleria rusticana (1890) the stage is inhabited by characters of striking realism. Theatre and reality In his gripping 2019 production, celebrated director Robert Carsen reverses the traditional sequence of the operas and focuses on the contrast between theatre and reality. He opens with Pagliacci, in which the clown Canio discovers that his wife is cheating on him, not only in the farces they perform with their theatre company, but also in real life. Carsen also sets Cavalleria rusticana in the theatre world. This opera is about the destructive power of jealousy within a village community, but he relocates it to the dressing room of an opera chorus. Musical ardour Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana is a stylish opener for the season, with the Chorus of Dutch National Opera in full force. Andrea Battistoni is one of the leading Italian conductors of today. He will take the helm of these two gems of verismo, with its focus on everyday life and raw emotion. The leading roles are performed by world-class soloists. Soprano Corinne Winters is the winner of the 2025 Oper! Award for Best Female Singer. She takes on the role of Nedda, appearing with Dutch National Opera for the first time. Two sought-after tenors, Riccardo Massi (Canio) and SeokJong Baek (Turiddu), also make their Amsterdam debuts. Audience favourite Raehann Bryce-Davis returns to sing Santuzza, marking her role debut.
18 Opera Interview Soprano Corinne Winters on Pagliacci Corinne Winters, who hails from the USA, is one of the most remarkable artists of today’s opera world, winning the Oper! Award for Best Female Singer in 2025. This season, she will make her house debut with Dutch National Opera as Nedda in Pagliacci, a role she is very much looking forward to. “Late nineteenth- and early twentiethcentury operas such as Pagliacci have three-dimensional female roles and stories about relatable characters in all kinds of situations,” says Winters. “I really love exploring these stories, which can be so mundane in one sense but also incredibly human. Expressing something that everybody in the audience can relate to, each in their own way, is what I absolutely adore about this repertoire.” “Nedda is definitely one of those fascinating women – a performer with a fiery personality. But she is torn between the various men in her life, who each want to claim her for themselves. There is her possessive and violent husband and her young lover, as well as the people she works and travels with, all relationships where different power dynamics are in play. Nedda is a free spirit, full of passion and energy. She dearly wants to express herself, but feels stifled and she’s looking for a way out. Women have found themselves in situations like these for millennia, with no escape. It’s part of women’s collective consciousness: we all know how this feels to some extent. It’s timeless yet also incredibly relevant.” A full lyric voice “The late nineteenth- and early twentiethcentury repertoire suits my voice very well. The lyricism and timbre that I have suit the more melancholic music of that era. My voice has a richness of colour, and I also have enough power in my high notes to be able to cut through the orchestra. I have what I’d say is a full lyric voice, rather than a dramatic one, but I can turn on the required edge or dramatic quality when I need it. My stage presence also suits this repertoire: I give everything and I really like the complex, rich characters of this period.” Edgy or traditional “I love all kinds of productions. What’s important for me is that the directors stay true to the work while still showing a new side to the opera, a new colour or flavour that we maybe haven’t experienced in that particular way. I think that’s the mark of a great production: it may be incredibly edgy and different or it may be more traditional, but it needs to tell the story uniquely and truthfully.” “When I start in a new production, I always try to stay open-minded. The worst thing that can happen in a rehearsal room is to say no straight away, rejecting things before you even try them. That really snuffs out the inspiration and imagination in the room. Keeping the spirit of collaboration and creativity is key, because that’s when people feel safe to explore and that’s when great art is made.” Singer Corinne Winters feels drawn to stories that are both mundane and deeply human, such as that of Nedda in Pagliacci, a free spirit who feels stifled. “Nedda’s story is timeless yet also incredibly relevant.” “ A production must stay faithful to the work and also show something new”
19 Text: Benjamin Rous I Photo: Liliya Namisnyk Nedda asa mirror for many women
20 Opera Physical theatre, hip-hop dance and swirling music
21 Housing shortages, corruption, love – the themes of Cherry Town (1959) are all too relevant today. Director Jakop Ahlbom will bring this story to life in a sparkling musical spectacle with a vivid cast of singers and dancers. In a big city where rent is high and housing is scarce, the announcement of a new construction project creates quite a stir. Lots of people looking for some- where to live, hope to find their new homes in the brand-new Cherry Trees Estate – or Cherry Town for short. But the pompous property developer ignores the priority permits issued by the local authority. Can honesty and love prevail over corruption and selfishness? Swinging Shostakovich In Shostakovich’s only operetta, we hear the composer’s lighter side. The work is filled with waltzes, polkas and other dance forms, while Shostakovich also parodies more serious musical styles. The swirling score is in good hands with the Netherlands Philharmonic and conductor Bassem Akiki, who previously made strong impressions in Amsterdam with Animal Farm (2023) and We Are The Lucky Ones (2025). Creative forces For this production, Dutch National Opera, Jakop Ahlbom Company and ISH Dance Collective are collaborating artistically for the first time. Director Jakop Ahlbom, who has long been making waves with his theatre performances full of humour and visual poetry, replaces the operetta’s spoken dialogue with mime scenes. He will develop the stunt and dance scenes together with choreographer Marco Gerris (Artistic Director of ISH Dance Collective and winner of the 2025 Johannes Vermeer Prize). An energetic cast – featuring much-loved Dutch singers such as Thomas Oliemans, Frederik Bergman, Nina van Essen, Michael Wilmering and Alexander de Jong – shares the stage with dancers and the Chorus of Dutch National Opera. New production Musical comedy in three acts Libretto: Vladimir Mass and Mikhail Chervinsky, in an English translation by Sir David Pountney Sung in English Musical direction Bassem Akiki Stage direction Jakop Ahlbom Set design Thomas Rupert Costume design Esmée Thomassen Lighting design Marc Heinz Choreography Marco Gerris Dramaturgy Wout van Tongeren Sasha Alexander de Jong Masha Nina van Essen Lidion Ella Taylor Boris Michael Wilmering Fayke Noos Thomas Oliemans Blatherbox Frederik Bergman Netherlands Philharmonic Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper Produced by Dutch National Opera in collaboration with Jakop Ahlbom Company and ISH Dance Collective Performances for schools We offer special performances for primary and secondary school students. See operaballet.nl/en/ school-performances Partner Premiere 8/10/2026 Subsequent performances: 10, 11*, 16, 20 October 2026 | Curtain-up: 20:00 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Prices: see page 125 | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone Family production 10+ Cherry Town Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
22 Opera Director Jakop Ahlbom on Cherry Town For Cherry Town, renowned theatre maker Jakop Ahlbom transforms a little-known operetta by Shostakovich into a spectacular production for audiences young and old. A modern fairy tale with powerful relevance today. Jakop Ahlbom is always searching for new forms. For twenty-five years he has been known for his distinctive theatre productions, each time employing different means to create magic on stage: mime, slapstick, music, acrobatics, dance, illusion, special effects, almost always without words. Internationally, he has enjoyed great success, with large-scale productions such as Horror, Lebensraum and Unseen touring the world. His stories are often intimate, dealing with the complex relationships between people. His first artistic involvement with opera dates back to 2013, when he was invited to create an adaptation of Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann for Deutsche Oper Berlin. “Opera is, for me, the ultimate art form. Everything comes together,” Ahlbom says. Before making his debut as an opera director, he immersed himself in the opera for an entire year. “Every morning at break- fast, I listened to the piece. I believe that before you begin directing, you must be able to dream the music. That is essential.” Polkas and waltzes He now makes his debut at Dutch National Opera with Cherry Town, or Cheryomushki, a 1959 operetta by Dmitri Shostakovich. “It is light music. Polkas and waltzes, occasionally jazzy, with a touch of Russian melancholy. Very different from the Shosta- kovich we know from operas such as The Nose and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.” The production will truly be for audiences of all ages, and several of Ahlbom’s signature elements — illusion, special effects, slapstick and acrobatics — will certainly be present. “There is a great deal to experience. The set consists of dilapidated apartments crammed with stuff, perfect for all sorts of hiding and disappearing tricks, and other effects. The cast features eight dancers from Marco Gerris’s ISH Dance Collective, a company that has previously collaborated with the Junior Company of Dutch National Ballet. In addition, there are eight singers and a chorus of twenty.” The original three-hour operetta has been reduced to roughly half that length. “Together with translator David Pountney, we simplified the story and reduced the spoken dialogue to a minimum. Almost everything is now sung.” The story addresses topical themes such as the housing crisis and corruption. “It centres on three couples who have pinned all their hopes on the promised land, ‘Cherry Town’: affordable apartments for ordinary people. For them, as for many today, it is like winning the lottery. We see two lovers who dream of finally being able to live together. The home of an elderly man and his adult son must be demolished to make way for the new development, leaving them on the street. The property developer makes promises he cannot keep, and one of his employees attempts to expose the deceit of his unscrupulous boss. The original story ended in a somewhat curious way, with a magical garden in which everything is resolved.” A wild chase For his own ending, Ahlbom drew inspiration from Buster Keaton. “It will be a wild chase, full of magical realism. I see this operetta as a modern fairy tale, a universal and timeless story.” “ I find opera the ultimate art form: everything comes together” Interview Shosta specia with e
Text: Margriet Prinssen | Photo: Stef Nagel akovich aleffects
24 Opera Musical adventure driven by courage and imagination
25 Lennox is about a boy who, searching for a mysterious hospital, discovers his own bravery. It is a musical story about family, friendship and being daring, with music by the young artist Bnnyhunna. Lennox knows that his father is suffering from a mysterious illness, but he is not told exactly what is wrong. When his father forgets to take his lucky pendant with him to a hospital appointment one day, Lennox and his best friend decide to follow him. Based on the award-winning book RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. and Dutch National Opera have adapted the book Lennox and the Golden Sickle into an energetic hip-hop opera. Author Zindzi Zevenbergen received the 2022 Zilveren Griffel award, the premier Dutch award for children’s books, for her story about sickle cell anaemia, a blood disorder that mainly affects people with West African roots. The illustrators Hedy Tjin and Brian Elstak won the Zilveren Penseel award for this book. Their lively illustrations have been a major source of visual inspiration for this production. Maarten van Hinte wrote a poetic, up-to-date opera libretto based on the original book, disarmingly conveying the young Lennox’s quest and struggles. Multi-instrumentalist Bnnyhunna (Benjamin Ankomah) wrote the music for Lennox, his first opera. In his composition, he brings together jazz, gospel, Afrobeat, soul, and classical music to create an energetic, colourful musical narrative, while Marjorie Boston’s stage direction weaves it all together into a dynamic and exciting whole. Revival Libretto: Maarten van Hinte Sung in Dutch Stage direction Marjorie Boston Set design John Lippens and Koen Jantzen Costume design Iris Elstrodt Lighting design Wes Broersen Musical supervision, orchestration and additional composition Lochlan Brown Additional arrangements Noah Stakenborg Creation percussion part Dimairon Catal Musical dramaturgy Neo Muyanga Dramaturgy Wout van Tongeren Lennox Winny Herbert Aya Charlene Sancho Mrs Babel / tram conductor / receptionist / doctor Miebond Nienke Nasserian Mr Babel Ayrton Kirchner Glimmerik Dwayne Toemere Co-production with RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. Performances for schools We offer special performances for primary school students. See operaballet.nl/en/schoolperformances Founding partner programming Studio Boekman Premiere 10/10/2026 Subsequent performances: 11*, 11, 12*, 13*, 13, 14*, 15, 16, 17 October 2026 | Curtain-up: 16:00 / *12:30 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Prices: see page 125 | Location: Studio Boekman, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Michiel Spijkers Youth opera 8+ Lennox Bnnyhunna (1998) “ Lennox is an adventurous hip-hop opera with the pacey style of a music video” de Volkskrant
26 Opera Poetic and humandeeply
27 Bach’s music is normally heard in churches or concert halls. Now there is a unique opportunity to experience the Johannes-Passion at Dutch National Opera in our first collaboration with the Netherlands Bach Society. Conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón was one of the instigators of this moving interdisciplinary interpretation of the Passion story. Together with choreographer Sasha Waltz, he has turned this pinnacle of Western music history into a poetic, deeply human narrative about the quest for truth, justice and salvation. Waltz creates a symbiosis between singers, musicians, chorus and dancers from her own company, in which movement and sound merge. The Johannes-Passion, which Bach wrote several years before his MatthäusPassion, is considered to be the more dramatic and intense of the two Gospel works. Whereas the Matthäus-Passion is more a reflection on the suffering of Christ and the harrowing shortcomings of humanity, the Johannes-Passion, takes the listener on a profound journey through Jesus’ turbulent and emotional final days. A special musical encounter The deeply moving music is performed by the Netherlands Bach Society. The Bach Society choir are also involved; they will be collaborating with the Chorus of Dutch National Opera, making it a very special encounter. The cast includes some of today’s finest Bach interpreters, including bass-baritone Florian Boesch and two singers making their house debuts: bass-baritone Andreas Wolf and tenor David Fischer. New production for Dutch National Opera Oratorio Sung in German Musical direction Leonardo García-Alarcón Choreography and direction Sasha Waltz Stage design Heike Schuppelius Costume design Bernd Skodzig Lighting design David Finn Dance / choreography Sasha Waltz & Guests Sound intervention Diego Noguera Evangelist David Fischer Jesus Andreas Wolf Pilatus Florian Boesch Soprano Jessica Niles Alto Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian Tenor Matthew Newlin Netherlands Bach Society Choir of the Netherlands Bach Society Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper A co-production with the Netherlands Bach Society A production by Sasha Waltz & Guests, initially commissioned and produced by the Opéra de Dijon in co-production with Sasha Waltz & Guests and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. World premiere 22 March 2024, as part of the Salzburg Easter Festival. With the support of Aline Foriel-Destezet. Premiere 10/11/2026 Subsequent performances: 12, 14, 18, 20, 22*, 24, 26 November 2026 | Curtain-up: 19:30 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Price Category: A | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone “ A graceful interplay among the dancers, musicians, chorus and singers” The New York Times Johannes-Passion Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
28 Opera Conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón on the Johannes-Passion Leonardo García-Alarcón grew up in an Argentinian family of musicians and dancers, and has been a fervent admirer of Johann Sebastian Bach since his childhood. These two leitmotifs in his life have come together in a staging of Bach’s Johannes-Passion that he developed together with choreographer Sasha Waltz. “At some point in his life, Bach must have considered composing an opera”, says García-Alarcón. “He knew the operas of Lotti, Telemann and Hasse well. The only problem was that there wasn’t an opera house in Leipzig. He had an inherent need for dramatic music, though. His profane cantatas – drammi per musica, as he called them – are like miniature operas. That need for the dramatic can also be heard in the Johannes-Passion. It’s music that seems more at home in the theatre than in the church.” Bach was a great musical rhetorician, García-Alarcón explains. “He took a text and transformed it within his musical architecture in a way that conveys the message as powerfully as possible. One of the first rules of rhetoric is that you have to capture your audience’s attention. That’s why Bach utilised techniques that were mostly used in operas, such as the concerto, the aria da capo and recitatives. Bach was not even remotely conservative. He was absolutely revolutionary within the church context.” What fascinates García-Alarcón so much about baroque composers is that they availed themselves of all the styles that were at their disposal. “It’s as if modernday composers were to simultaneously draw on twelve-tone, serialism, rap, techno, pop and folk music to create a grand polyphony of everything out there. Bach took inspiration from all over Europe – he knew and copied all the musical styles that the continent had to offer.” Visualising the music When the conductor was looking at how to celebrate the tercentenary of the Johannes-Passion, he immediately thought of the choreographer Sasha Waltz. “Together, we decided to focus on the human side of the Passion, which guides us towards the light. Great choreo- graphers like Sasha can render a state of mind visible. With them, dance is never superficial; there’s always a direct relation- ship with the emotions. When I listen to Bach now and close my eyes, it’s as if I can see Sasha’s movements. She knows how to transform musical forms into dance. When the orchestra plays a fugue, I see that fugue on stage – not just the symmetry of the form, but also the occasional asymmetries in the tempo. It all becomes visible. I find that intimate relationship with musical textures incre- dibly powerful and inspirational. As a conductor, I’m there to serve the composer and the choreographer. When such a deep understanding arises between those two, we become a potent triangle.” Lastly, García-Alarcón emphasises the importance of rhythm. “A strong rhythmic drive, like tango or flamenco dancers have, is really important. That pulse is something I’m constantly looking for, and Sasha has unlocked it in my interpretation of Bach. In baroque music, it is created by the basso continuo, the foundation and the engine of the music. It’s something that you can see in all kinds of musical genres today, from rock to metal.” Interview For conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón, the Johannes- Passion is a powerful musical drama. Together with choreographer Sasha Waltz, he explores how to use dance and movement to enhance the emotions in Bach’s music. “When I listen to Bach now, I see Sasha’s movements in front of me.” The theatrical power of Ba
Text: Benjamin Rous | Photo: Jean-Baptiste Millot “Bach wasn’t a conservative musician: he was revolutionary” ach
30 Opera A stormy masterpiece
31 Raging orchestral sounds and compelling desires epitomise Richard Wagner’s first masterpiece, Der fliegende Holländer. In this new production, director Lotte de Beer portrays protagonist Senta as an artist in search of self-expression. The Flying Dutchman, a cursed captain, is doomed to roam the stormy seas forever in his ghost ship. Once every seven years he is allowed ashore to try to find love and thereby lift the curse. Senta has grown up in a traditional community where men sail the seas and women sit at the spinning wheel. She is a young woman with a vivid imagination who longs for the boundless unknown. When she meets the mysterious Dutchman, she feels drawn to his free spirit and disenchanted view of the world. Free-spirited artist Director Lotte de Beer returns to Dutch National Opera, where she has chosen to interpret the work from the perspective of Senta as a free-spirited artist. The world she lives in resembles a painting from a romanticised past that she has become trapped in. The Dutchman is like a muse for Senta, inspiring her to break free from of the familiar. But his nihilism finally drives her to find her own voice. Celebrated conductor Susanna Mälkki makes her debut with us. With characteristic combination of fervour, technical precision and sense of musical dramaturgy, she will lead the Netherlands Philharmonic through Wagner’s tempestuous score. Soprano Elisabeth Teige, known for her Wagner interpretations at venues including the Bayreuth Festival, makes her first appearance at Dutch National Opera as Senta, her signature role. She finds a formidable counterpart in bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, who is making his house and role debut as the Dutchman and is renowned for his warm, powerful voice and great dramatic persuasiveness. New production Romantic opera in three acts Libretto: Richard Wagner Sung in German Musical direction Susanna Mälkki Stage direction Lotte de Beer Set and costume design Christof Hetzer Lighting design Alex Brok Movement Klevis Elmazaj Dramaturgy Peter te Nuyl and Jasmijn van Wijnen Daland Liang Li Senta Elisabeth Teige Erik Jamez McCorkle Mary Jasmin White Der Steuermann Dalands Omer Kobiljak Der Holländer Ryan Speedo Green Netherlands Philharmonic Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Ernst Raffelsberger Premiere 3/12/2026 Subsequent performances: 6*, 10, 13*, 15, 18, 22, 25*, 27* December 2026 | Curtain-up: 19:30 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Price Category: A | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone Der fliegende Holländer Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
32 Opera Photo: Jiyang Chen Director Lotte de Beer and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green on Der fliegende Holländer Director Lotte de Beer sees nostalgia clashing with nihilism while singer Ryan Speedo Green embraces the villain. Together, they turn Der fliegende Holländer into a gripping tale of curse and redemption. For Lotte de Beer, theatre is an exercise in empathy and solidarity. She sees Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer as an exploration of polarisation — the biggest political issue of our day. “I recognise two opposing sound worlds: the Italian operatic tradition as reflected in the traditional, nostalgic world of the Norwegian Captain Daland and the restless, unbounded music of the wandering Dutchman. In fact, that music already shows signs of the innovative style of Wagner’s later work, such as Tristan und Isolde. Everyone in Daland’s world clings to a good-old-days mentality, while the Holländer represents a tradition of deconstruction and nihilism.” The myth of the Flying Dutchman was based on a Dutch East India Company captain. De Beer: “That inspired me to set Daland’s world in a decor reminiscent of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, the seventeenth-century world of Vermeer and his contemporaries. This aesthetic embodies a dangerous nostalgia, a mindset imbued with assumptions of dominance and colonialism.” “Confronting this is the Dutchman, who dismantles that Golden Age aesthetic. Drawn to the lost soul “ I hope to be the bad guy audiences are secretly rooting for” Ryan Speedo Green Interview
33 Text: Jasmijn van Wijnen Photo: Marco Sommer He shows us the dark side of this period , quite literally, by turning elements of the set around to reveal abstract black shapes. He himself continues to wander aimlessly, trapped in his nihilism: he has cursed God but has not found a new purpose to guide him.” Artist and muse Senta, Daland’s daughter, is an artistic soul who grew up in a small community where the women spend their time spinning while the men are out at sea. De Beer: “When I listen to Senta’s music, I imagine her as an independent-minded person who is searching for something and has her own opinions. You can see her fascination for the Dutchman as a girl fantasising about a man, but you can also see it as an artist’s obsession with a muse. When I look at Senta and the Dutchman, I wonder who redeems whom. You could equally say it is the Dutchman who redeems Senta.” The Dutchman amongst the Dutch When Ryan Speedo Green fell asleep during a performance of Parsifal at the age of fifteen, he could never have imagined how big a role Wagner’s repertoire would play in his life, both personally and professionally. “I think it’s fantastic for me to make my debut as the Dutchman here, surrounded by Dutch people!” says Green. “There aren’t many title roles for my voice type, the bass-baritone. But a title role like the Holländer is epic from the start. The character’s introduction consists of a twelve-minute aria — Wagner’s most iconic — with two-and-a-half acts still to go after that. You walk out onto the stage and then stay there performing for the next 45 minutes. That makes huge demands on you, both physically and mentally.” Larger than life Green: “Wagner’s imposing characters gave me the feeling for the first time that as a tall Black guy I could simply be myself without scaring people off. The Dutchman is the ultimate larger-than-life character. The audience is supposed to be afraid of the curse imposed upon him and at the same time feel sympathy for him. He needs to have a commanding voice and appearance, but there also needs to be this human side that moves you. Even if he is arrogant and egocentric, I want people to see that he is worthy of being loved. I hope to be the bad guy audiences are secretly rooting for.” “ With Senta and the Dutchman, I wonder who redeems whom” Lotte de Beer
34 Opera musical journey A compelling
35 Captain Ud feels that something is missing from his music and embarks on a bold quest. Dutch National Opera and the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra invite audiences young and old on a grand adventure full of myths, stories and new musical worlds. Adventurous heroes’ journeys occupy an important place in world literature. Stories such as Homer’s Odyssey and Ibn Battuta’s Kitaab Rihla have captured the imagination for millennia. The 10 + 1 Strings of Captain Ud (‘De 10 + 1 snaren van kapitein Ud’) moves between mythology, history and fantasy to tell an epic tale about how welcoming the unknown can bring you much more than you could ever have imagined. Tidal wave Captain Ud plays his music tirelessly every day, until one day he is suddenly overcome by a strange feeling: something is missing! It seems as if there is a void between the notes. When a colossal tidal wave appears from nowhere, Ud decides to embark on an adventure. He lets himself get carried away on the churning waters, in search of more music. That is the start of a journey along rocky coasts, across scorching hot sandy plateaus, and through wooded hills full of olive trees. Everywhere Ud goes, he meets strange, colourful characters who show him new musical traditions, and whose tall tales must sometimes be taken with a pinch of sea salt. Bringing musical worlds together Dutch National Opera and the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra are collaborating to bring this opera to young audiences. They previously joined forces for the Radio Cairo mini-festival (2024) and the production Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother (2025). Their common ground is a shared mission to bring musical worlds together. The libretto is written by writer, poet and translator Nisrine Mbarki Ben Ayad, the new Poet Laureate of the Netherlands. World premiere Libretto: Nisrine Mbarki Ben Ayad Sung in Dutch and other languages Co-production with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra Performances for schools We offer special performances for primary school students. See operaballet.nl/en/schoolperformances Founding partner programming Studio Boekman Premiere 13/12/2026 Subsequent performances: 13*, 19*, 20*, 20, 21*, 23*, 27*, 28*, 29*, 30* December 2026, 2*, 3* January 2027 | Curtain-up: 16:00 / *13:30 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Prices: see page 125 | Location: Studio Boekman, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Michiel Spijkers Youth opera 6+ The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra (AAO), founded in 2011, aims to give the artistic heritage from Granada to Baghdad a place in the contemporary world. The orchestra interweaves the music with theatre and stories, both new and old. The AAO has already secured a respected position in Amsterdam’s cultural scene through its own productions and wide-ranging collaborations. The 10 + 1 Strings of Captain Ud “ The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra connects cultural heritage with the present in a unique way” Jury report Cultuurfonds Award
36 Opera Gruesome and irresistible
37 In the seething atmosphere of King Herod’s palace, everyone become entangled in a web of desires. Together with the Netherlands Philharmonic, conductor Lorenzo Viotti brings the magnificent Strauss score to life. When Princess Salome becomes obsessed with the imprisoned prophet Jochanaan (John the Baptist), a game of seduction, power play and manipulation begins that leads to the downfall of Salome, her lascivious stepfather Herod and the unyielding Jochanaan. Richard Strauss based his opera on Oscar Wilde’s sensual play of the same name. Strauss builds up the tension masterfully to a devastatingly cathartic finale that is as bloody as it is beautiful. Fantasies and desires In his acclaimed production, Ivo van Hove makes Jochanaan’s dungeon a gaping opening in the centre of the set. Around it circle the courtiers, caught up in their own fantasies and desires. In this sober world, the Dance of the Seven Veils, choreographed by Wim Vandekeybus, creates a surprising and overwhelming contrast. It is an explosive scene in which Salome manipulates her stepfather. In 2023, while he was chief conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic, Lorenzo Viotti presented a lush interpretation of Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. It was his dream to conduct his first Salome with the same beloved partners. Dramatic soprano Sara Jakubiak is one of the finest interpreters of the Strauss repertoire, which makes it even more special that she is now making her role debut as Salome in Amsterdam. Expressive tenor Peter Hoare takes on the role of Herodes, while widely acclaimed baritone Brian Mulligan lends his warm and powerful baritone voice to Jochanaan. “ An instantly legendary, gruesome and timeless Salome” NRC Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone Revival Drama in one act Libretto: after Oscar Wilde’s play, in Hedwig Lachmann’s translation Sung in German Musical direction Lorenzo Viotti Stage direction Ivo van Hove Set and lighting design Jan Versweyveld Costume design An D’Huys Video design Tal Yarden Choreography Wim Vandekeybus Dramaturgy Jan Vandenhouwe Herodes Peter Hoare Herodias Karen Cargill Salome Sara Jakubiak Jochanaan Brian Mulligan Narraboth Ryan Capozzo Erster Jude N.N. Zweiter Jude Marcel Reijans Dritter Jude Mark Omvlee Vierter Jude N.N. Fünfter Jude N.N. Erster Nazarener Ivo Stánchev Zweiter Nazarener Roger Smeets Erster Soldat Jasper Leever Zweiter Soldat N.N. Netherlands Philharmonic Premiere 18/1/2027 Subsequent performances: 21, 24*, 27, 31* January, 2, 6 February 2027 | Curtain-up: 20:00 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start: 27 August 2026 | Price category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Salome Richard Strauss (1864–1949)
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