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
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