News
Sarah Defrise: World Premiere by Neuwirth
On 1 February 2026 the soprano Sarah Defrise will make her debut at the Hamburgische Staatsoper in the world premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s new opera Monster's Paradise in the libretto by Elfriede Jelinek. She will perform the role of Vampi in this brand-new political grotesque, staged by artistic director Tobias Kratzer as a contemporary Grand Guignol. Other performance dates are also scheduled on 4/8/11/13/15 February 2026. Titus Engel will conduct the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, and Rainer Sellmaier will create the set and costumes. Further soloists include Anna Clementi (Gorgonzilla), Georg Nigl (King/President), Sylvie Rohrer (Vampi-actress), Ruth Rosenfeld (Bampi-actress), Kristina Stanek (Bampi), Andrew Watts (Mickey). This world premiere is a co-production with the Opernhaus Zürich and the Oper Graz. As avatars of themselves, composer Olga Neuwirth and the writer Elfriede Jelinek send two “vampiresses” on a journey around the world. They observe the decline of humanity while a tyrannical king and a sea monster he has conjured up himself fight for power. All hope rests on him: the great Gorgonzilla. But what kind of world is it that can only be saved by monsters?
(published on 23 January 2026)
Sofia Jernberg: Debut Wiener Konzerthaus
29 January 2026 will see Sofia Jernberg’s debut and world premiere of her own composition Psalm against the sea with the renowned Mivos Quartet at the Wiener Konzerthaus in the series Nouvelles Aventures. The quartet will also play Ingrid Laubrock’s Ashes, Sivan Eldar’s Solicitations, Rebecca Saunders’ Unbreathed, Annesley Black’s Folds Dependent and Flora Marlene Geißelbrecht’s Light of Third. Recent performances in Vienna with Sofia Jernberg included concerts at the Musikverein at the invitation of Wien Modern and at the Wiener Festwochen.
(published on 20 January 2026)
Anu Komsi: 100 years Finnish Radio
On 23 January 2026, soprano Anu Komsi will perform a concert with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Nicholas Collon at the Helsinki Music Centre. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of YLE (Yleisradio) – Finland's national public broadcasting company – she will sing Väinö Raitio’s Puistokuja for soprano and orchestra. Further works of the programme are Albert Roussel’s Suite F major, Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Francesco Piemontesi and Leoš Janáček’s Sinfonietta.
(published on 12 January 2026)
Eva Resch: Debut at Ultraschall Berlin
On 15 January 2026, the soprano Eva Resch will make her debut at the Ultraschall Festival Berlin. Together with the cellist Martin Smith she will present her new and exciting programme SMESCH – Songs of Failure at the Heimathafen Neukölln. They will perform Brigitta Muntendorf’s hin und weg, Georg Katzer’s Ophelia, Per Nørgår’s Plutonian Ode, Kaija Saariaho’s Changing light for soprano and cello and the world premiere of Farzia Fallah’s of asphyxia for voice and cello (2025). The video artist Leon Daniel will complete the programme presenting his video installations. At the heart of SMESCH lies the ambivalence of human existence: crown of creation or rather its nightmare? From the destructive power emanating from humanity also arises the responsibility to protect life. But what if we fail to live up to our own moral compass?
(published on 7 January 2026)
Deutsch