Hamburgische Staatsoper

This season, Volker Wacker is once again offering his opera workshops as a guest at the Hamburg State Opera. These are intensive seminars where participants learn about various aspects of the opera production. They take place each Friday evening (from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM) and on the following Saturday in a six-hour block with breaks. Staff members of the Hamburg State Opera and production participants will be present on selected dates and available to answer questions.

Did you know that Händel, before his first opera Almira premiered in Hamburg, had to duel on the Gänsemarkt, and that Gustav Mahler, after the performance he conducted, was escorted home by the police? This and other fascinating anecdotes about the history and present of the house on Dammtorstraße can be discovered on a public tour. Discover where the rehearsals for the performances take place, take a look into our costume and mask workshop, and find out where the beautiful props used every evening disappear after the performance. You can also enjoy a unique view of the audience from the stage, a view normally experienced only by our singers and dancers.

Leaning back in the velvet armchair is sometimes allowed. Not here! The Staatsoper Hamburg launches with CLICK in – debate: Political perspectives, a new conversation format that takes place four times per season. In 60-minute conversations with a guest, moderated by dramaturgs or the intendant, the socially relevant and political topics that play a role in the current new productions of Staatsoper Hamburg are discussed. Because musical theatre is also a mirror of the world — it addresses what moves society. The conversations take place in front of an audience in the opera stabile. They offer the opportunity to get to know fascinating personalities and to listen to them closely, so that the dialogue about important topics is further stimulated. Beyond the stage productions. The world out there is changing quickly and with it the topics up for negotiation: Six weeks before the live conversation in the opera stabile, the guests are confirmed, seven days after the event the conversation is published digitally. Anywhere podcasts are available.

We embark on a quest in downtown Hamburg to trace the footsteps of remarkable cultural creators from music and poetry. During our tour, the stops will focus on poets like Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Matthias Claudius, as well as composers like Georg Friedrich Händel and Felicitas Kukuck. We will also explore the creative spaces of lesser-known artists to appreciate the rich cultural diversity and history of the Hanseatic city.

How does it feel to look from the stage into the large auditorium? And what does it look like behind the scenes? On a playful discovery tour, doors open that usually remain closed: Primary school classes get to know the diverse theater professions, try on costumes, discover props, and uncover one or two theater tricks.