On April 26, 2024, the Unter den Linden Children’s Opera House (Kinderopernhaus) will celebrate the premiere of EINFACH MOZART in the Old Orchestra Rehearsal Hall of the Unter den Linden State Opera. Together with experienced professionals from the opera world, children aged 11 to 13 from the districts of Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf and Reinickendorf have been coming together in the State Opera since autumn 2023 to learn about the early years of the child prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Directed by Georg Schütky and Adrienn Bazsó, they are developing the musical theater piece SIMPLE MOZART. The musical direction and arrangement is by Max Renne and the stage and costume design is by Christina Schmitt.
Image above: Außenansicht, Credits: Staatsoper Unter den Linden / Marcus Ebener
Mozart was just twelve years old when he composed his first full-length opera, “La finta semplice.” The ensemble of the Unter den Linden children’s opera house approaches this turbulent comedy by the Salzburg prodigy in its own way and embarks on a journey into the time when the early work was created. The focus is on the talented Mozart children Wolfgang and Nannerl, who not only played music for kings and princes on their years-long carriage rides throughout Europe, but also provided all sorts of adventurous inspiration for their common language, music, on their tours to Paris, London and Vienna , found. A piece about sibling love and family bonds, the search for recognition and the power of musical imagination.
Together with the 27 children involved, five members of the International Opera Studio will be on stage: Dionysios Avgerinos, Maria Kokareva, Johan Krogius, Gonzalo Quinchahual and Rebecka Wallroth. In addition, members of the Staatskapelle Berlin will play.
Kinderopernhaus Berlin (Children’s Opera House), which was awarded the OPUS KLASSIK Prize, is at the heart of the educational work at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. With its activities, the Children’s Opera House gives primary school children a variety of opportunities to create and perform musical theater works from their own perspective. Founded in 2010 by Regina Lux-Hahn in Berlin-Lichtenberg, it has steadily gained popularity and has been established in six Berlin districts since 2018.
The children’s opera house cooperates with many committed partners across Berlin, including primary schools, music schools, the Caritas Steinhaus children’s and youth center and Alba Berlin. In the original district of Lichtenberg as well as in Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Reinickendorf and, since this season, in Neukölln, there are regional children’s opera houses that realize annual musical theater productions. School groups have been initiated in a total of thirteen locations, while the threads come together in the State Opera and every year in the children’s opera house Unter den Linden an ambitious production by children and opera professionals will be realized.
In addition to the OPUS KLASSIK, the children’s opera house has already received other renowned awards, including: Ideas for the Education Republic 2013, Hidden Movers Award from the Deloitte Foundation 2015, Best Practice of the “Kultur macht stark” (Culture makes you strong) program – award from the Association of German Music Schools 2017.
The regional children’s opera houses will also celebrate their premieres in June 2024. The Neukölln children’s opera house, which opened this season, presents its first production DER RIESENBAUM IM KIEZ (THE GIANT TREE IN THE KIEZ) on June 8th, followed by DAS PHANTOM DER KINDEROPER, EINE HARMONIE DER TRÄUME (THE PHANTOM OF THE CHILDREN’S OPERA, A HARMONY OF DREAMS) and DAS VERLORENE LIED (THE LOST SONG) in the districts of Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf and Reinickendorf.
WHEN?
On Friday, 26. April 2024 at 7 pm
Further dates:
27. – 28. April
1., 3., 5., 7., 8., 10., 12., 18. and 19. May 2024
WHERE?
Alter Orchesterprobensaal
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden 7
10117 Berlin
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