47 Hedda has it all, but feels that her life is meaningless. She longs for a life full of grand gestures – yet on her own terms. The iconic and complex protagonist of Ibsen’s play now takes to the opera stage. Hedda Gabler, newly married to the respectable academic Jørgen Tesman, feels trapped in her existence. When her former lover Ejlert Løvborg reappears, Hedda sets in motion a dangerous game of power, jealousy and manipulation. Her attempt to maintain control over the people around her leaves a trail of devastation in its wake. Human motivations The compositions of Vasco Mendonça are dynamic and emotionally layered. He embraces a wide variety of genres, from chamber music to works for large orchestra, and from the unsettling opera House Taken Over to the youth opera The Girl, the Hunter and the Wolf, which premiered at Dutch National Opera in 2022. Director Nina Spijkers is known for her contemporary approach to the classical repertoire, with a focus on human motivations and power dynamics. An iconic work like Hedda Gabler offers her the perfect material to explore. For this new opera, Mendonça and Spijkers have adapted the classic play into a concise libretto that emphasises how patriarchal relationships become more intractable when they are internalised. Corinna Niemeyer makes her debut with Dutch National Opera conducting the ensemble Het Muziek (formerly Asko|Schönberg). Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Molinari sings the powerful leading role of Hedda. She previously made a deep impression in Amsterdam in Giulio Cesare and Idomeneo. Following his glorious roles in Die Fledermaus (2024) and We Are The Lucky Ones (2025), tenor Miles Mykkanen returns in the role of Ejlert Løvborg, and baritone Thomas Oliemans takes on the role of Judge Brack. New production Libretto: Vasco Mendonça and Nina Spijkers, based on the play by Henrik Ibsen, in Patrick Marber’s English translation Sung in English Musical direction Corinna Niemeyer Stage direction Nina Spijkers Set design Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck Costume design Jorine van Beek Lighting design Tim van ’t Hof Dramaturgy Jasmijn van Wijnen Hedda Gabler Cecilia Molinari Jørgen Tesman Iestyn Davies Ejlert Løvborg Miles Mykkanen Thea Elvsted Jessica Niles Judge Brack Thomas Oliemans Het Muziek Production partner Premiere 19/3/2027 Subsequent performances: 21*, 23, 25 March 2027 | Curtain-up: 20:00 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 27 August 2026 | Prices: TBA | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone World premiere Hedda Gabler Vasco Mendonça (1977) “ Nina Spijkers causes a sensation with her adaptations of classics” NRC
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODY1MjQ=