Christoph König wuchs in Dresden auf und war Mitglied des Dresdner Kreuzchores. Er studierte Orchesterdirigieren, Klavier und Gesang an der Musikhochschule seiner Heimatstadt. Erste Erfahrungen sammelte er als Solorepetitor an der Sächsischen Staatsoper, bei Meisterkursen mit Sergiu Celibidache und als Assistent von Sir Colin Davis und Riccardo Muti. Christoph König ist Preisträger der Herbert von Karajan Stiftung. Von 2003 bis 2006 war er Chefdirigent des Malmö Symfoniorkester und von 2008 bis 2014 des Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música. Konzertreisen haben ihn mit dem Sinfonie-Orchester Porto nach Brasilien, Wien, Rotterdam, Antwerpen, Luxembourg und zum Musica Festival Strasbourg geführt. Seit 2010 ist er zudem Chefdirigent der Solistes Européens Luxembourg. Als Gastdirigent dirigiert er u.a. die Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, das Orchestre de Paris, das Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, das Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest im Concertgebouw Amsterdam, das Dänische National-Orchester, das Norwegische Radio-Sinfonieorchester Oslo, das BBC Philharmonic, das Scottish Chamber Orchestra und das BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, das er 2008 auch auf eine Tournee nach China begleitete. Als Operndirigent hat er u.a. am Opernhaus Zürich, am Teatro Real in Madrid, an der Staatsoper Stuttgart und an der Deutschen Oper Berlin gearbeitet.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Opera buffa in four acts
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
From 23. September 2022 until 22. October 2022
-
Duration :
approx. 3 H. 35 Min. Inkl. Pause after approx. 1 H. 45 Min. -
Language:
In Italian with German and English surtitles. -
More information:
Introduction 45 min before the performance.
Christoph König
Jan Philipp Gloger
Jan Philipp Gloger studied Applied Theatre Studies at the Justus Liebig University Giessen and directing at the Zurich University of the Arts. From 2007, he worked as a freelance theatre director, including at the Bavarian State Theatre Munich, the Schaubühne and the Deutsches Theater Berlin, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, and the State Theatre Dresden. He presented productions at the Ruhrtriennale and the Heidelberg Stückemarkt and received the Directing Prize of the Bavarian Theatre Days. From 2011 to 2013, he was Chief Director at the Staatstheater Mainz. In 2010, he staged his first opera, "Le nozze di Figaro," at the Theater Augsburg. This was followed by "Alcina" at the Semperoper Dresden, "The Flying Dutchman" at the Bayreuth Festival in 2012, "Idomeneo" at the Opera Frankfurt in 2013, Gounod’s "Faust" in Zurich, and "Simon Boccanegra" at the Semperoper Dresden in 2014. In recent years, he has directed productions including "Così fan tutte" at the Royal Opera House London and "Faust" at the Kongelige Theater Copenhagen. In 2018, Jan Philipp Gloger became Artistic Director at the Staatstheater Nürnberg, where he most recently staged "La Cenerentola." His productions have been awarded the Audience Prize of the Mülheimer Theatertage, the Directing Prize of the Bavarian Theatre Days, the Nachspiel Prize at the Heidelberg Stückemarkt, and a nomination for the London Olivier Award. In Zurich, he most recently directed "La verità in cimento," "Il turco in Italia," and "Die Csárdásfürstin." Since the 2025/26 season, he has been Intendant of the Volkstheater Vienna.
Ben Baur
Ben Baur comes from Reinheim in southern Hesse and studied at the Berlin-Weissensee University of the Arts. His work as a stage and costume designer can be seen at major theatres and opera houses across Europe, including the Maxim Gorki Theater and Deutsches Theater in Berlin, the Volkstheater Munich, the Staatstheater Karlsruhe and Staatstheater Saarbrücken, the theatres in Bochum, Zurich, and Frankfurt, the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, the Stuttgart State Opera, the Zurich Opera House, the Welsh National Opera Cardiff, the Opéra national de Lorraine in Nancy and the Opéra royal du Château de Versailles, the Dutch National Opera Amsterdam, the Hamburg State Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and the Burgtheater Vienna. He has a close collaboration with Jetske Mijnssen and Jan Philipp Gloger. In 2014, Ben Baur made his directorial debut at the Staatstheater Saarbrücken with "Lucia di Lammermoor," where he subsequently staged "La traviata" and "Katja Kabanova." His work as a director also includes Hugo von Hofmannsthal's "Elektra" at the Deutsches Theater Göttingen, "Roméo et Juliette" and "Il trovatore" at the Opera Graz, "Don Giovanni" and "Dialogues des Carmélites" at the Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen, "Il pirata" and "Faust" at the Theater St. Gallen, "La bohème" and "Alcina" at the Staatstheater Braunschweig, as well as August Enna's "Kleopatra" at the Danish National Opera.
Karin Jud
Karin Jud, born in Zurich, studied fashion design from 2000 to 2004 at the Basel School of Design and Art. Afterwards, she worked until 2007 as an assistant costume designer at the Schauspielhaus and the Zurich Opera House, collaborating with directors such as Jan Bosse, Barbara Frey, Jürgen Gosch, Rudi Häusermann, Leiser/Caurier, and Jürgen Flimm. She designed costumes at the Schauspielhaus Zurich, among others, for productions by David Unseld, Luise Helle, Schorsch Kamerun, and Matthias Hartmann. Since 2007, she has worked as a freelance costume designer at, among others, Theater Augsburg, the Bavarian State Theatre Munich, Schauspiel Hannover, Schauspielhaus Graz, Staatstheater Mainz, Volkstheater Vienna, Semperoper Dresden, Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg, and the Schaubühne Berlin. In Hamburg, she designed the premiere of Philipp Löhle's "Das Ding," directed by Jan Philipp Gloger, which won the Audience Prize at the Mülheimer Theatertage in 2012. She has collaborated with directors such as Ingo Berk, Jan Stephan Schmieding, and Barbara-David Brüesch. Recently, in collaboration with Jan Philipp Gloger, she worked on "Idomeneo" at the Opera Frankfurt, "Die Csárdásfürstin," "Le nozze di Figaro," and "Il turco in Italia" at the Zurich Opera House, "Faust" at the Royal Danish Opera, and "Così fan tutte" at the Royal Opera House in London.
Martin Gebhardt
Martin Gebhardt was lighting designer and Head of Lighting for John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet. From 2002 onward he collaborated with Heinz Spoerli and the Ballett Zürich. Ballet productions of both companies took him to renowned theatres across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. At Zurich Opera House he created the lighting design for productions by Jürgen Flimm, David Alden, Jan Philipp Gloger, Grischa Asagaroff, Matthias Hartmann, David Pountney, Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier, Damiano Michieletto, and Achim Freyer. At the Salzburg Festival he designed the lighting for "La bohème" and for a new version of Spoerli’s "Der Tod und das Mädchen". Since the 2012/13 season Martin Gebhardt has been Head of Lighting at Zurich Opera House. He maintains a close collaboration with choreographer Christian Spuck (including "Winterreise", "Nussknacker und Mausekönig", "Messa da Requiem", "Anna Karenina", "Woyzeck", "Der Sandmann", "Leonce und Lena", "Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern"). He has also worked as lighting designer for choreographers Edward Clug (including "Strings", "Le Sacre du printemps" and "Faust" in Zurich), Alexei Ratmansky, Wayne McGregor, Marco Goecke, and Douglas Lee. He collaborated with Christoph Marthaler and Anna Viebrock on Handel’s "Sale" and Rossini’s "Il viaggio a Reims" in Zurich as well as on "Lulu" at the Hamburg State Opera, and with Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito at the Grand Théâtre de Genève for "Les Huguenots". In 2023 he designed the lighting for Spuck’s ballet "Bovary" at the Staatsballett Berlin and in 2024 for Rossini’s "Tancredi" at the Bregenz Festival. He was also the lighting designer for Cathy Marston’s "Atonement" at Zurich Opera House.
Tieni Burkhalter
Tieni Burkhalter studied Fine Arts at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), where he specialized in video and video installation. After his works were mainly shown in galleries and at experimental film festivals, he has been working for the stage since 2009. As a video producer, he is closely associated with the Zurich Opera House. His stage work has also taken him to theaters in Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Moscow, Oslo, and Savonlinna. At the Zurich Opera House, he worked with Andreas Homoki ("Der fliegende Holländer", "Das Land des Lächelns", "Das Rheingold", "Siegfried" and "Die Walküre"), Evgeny Titov ("Lessons in Love and Violence" and "L’Orfeo"), Jan Philipp Gloger ("Die Csárdásfürstin" and "Le nozze di Figaro"), Adele Thomas ("Il trovatore"), Rainer Holzapfel ("Die Odyssee"), Nina Russi ("Coraline") and Kai Anne Schuhmacher ("Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer"). For Ballet Zurich, he produced videos for Christian Spuck ("Anna Karenina" and "Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern"), Marcos Morau ("Nachtträume"), Edward Clug ("Faust") and Douglas Lee ("A-Life"). He was also involved at the Savonlinna Opera Festival with Philipp Himmelmann for "Aida", in Berlin with Christian Spuck for "Madame Bovary", and has been collaborating for many years on Dmitri Tcherniakov’s productions: "Pelléas et Mélisande" and "Die Sache Makropulos" at the Zurich Opera House, "Senza Sangue/Herzog Blaubarts Burg", "Elektra" and "Salome" at the Hamburg State Opera, "La Fille de Neige" and "Les Troyens" at the Opéra National de Paris, and "Tristan und Isolde" at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin.
Ernst Raffelsberger
Ernst Raffelsberger comes from Gmunden, Upper Austria. He studied music education and church music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna as well as choral conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. From 1983 to 1986 he was Kapellmeister of the Vienna Boys’ Choir. During this time, he led the ensemble in Vienna and on tours through Europe, South Africa, Canada, and the USA. From 1986, Ernst Raffelsberger was choral director and Kapellmeister at the Salzburg State Theatre (participating in the Salzburg Mozart Week and the Salzburg Festival). In 1989 he moved as choral director and Kapellmeister to the theatre in Freiburg/Breisgau. Since autumn 1993, Ernst Raffelsberger has been engaged at the Zurich Opera House as choral director. Here he has since supervised around 150 premieres and countless revivals and worked with many renowned conductors such as Marco Armiliato, Riccardo Chailly, Teodor Currentzis, Christoph von Dohnányi, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Daniele Gatti, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta, Gianandrea Noseda, and Franz Welser-Möst. Guest performances with the Zurich Opera House have taken him to Vienna, London, Paris, and Tokyo. From summer 2012 he additionally began a ten-year activity as choral director of the Vienna State Opera Chorus Association at the Salzburg Festival. There he collaborated successfully with, among others, Riccardo Muti, Mariss Jansons, and Sir Simon Rattle. After Ernst Raffelsberger ended this work with the festival summer 2021, he has since 2025 once again been responsible, at Maestro Muti’s request, for choral preparation for his festival concerts in Salzburg. Numerous CD and DVD recordings document his work in Zurich as well as in Salzburg.
Claus Spahn
Claus Spahn was chief dramaturge at the Zurich Opera House during Andreas Homoki’s tenure as artistic director. There, he supervised music theater projects by Wolfgang Rihm, Helmut Lachenmann, George Benjamin, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, and world premieres by Heinz Holliger, Christian Jost, and Stefan Wirth. As a production dramaturge, he worked with directors such as Sebastian Baumgarten, Herbert Fritsch, Jan Philipp Gloger, Tatjana Gürbaca, Andreas Homoki, Barrie Kosky, Nadja Loschky, David Marton, and Evgeni Titov. He also shares a close artistic partnership with the choreographer and former director of Zurich Ballet, Christian Spuck. For him, Spahn was involved in the development of the productions “Anna Karenina,” “Nussknacker und Mausekönig,” and “Monteverdi” in Zurich, he also wrote libretti for the ballets “Orlando” based on Virginia Woolf (world premiere in 2021 at the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet) and “Bovary” based on Gustave Flaubert (world premiere in 2023 at the Berlin State Ballet). Additionally, he is the librettist of the chamber opera “The Dream of You” by Swiss composer Xavier Dayer, which premiered in 2017 at the Zurich Opera House. Before joining the Zurich Opera House, Claus Spahn was the arts editor for 14 years at the German weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT, where he was responsible for the music section. From 1990 to 1997, he worked as a freelance music journalist mainly for the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Bavarian Broadcasting. Claus Spahn was born in Germany, studied classical guitar in Freiburg im Breisgau, and completed training at the German School of Journalism in Munich.
Cast
Zwei Frauen Selena Colombera 23 Sept / 07, 15 Oct
Zwei Frauen Hélène Couture 23 Sept / 07, 15 Oct
Tango Tanzpaar Eugenia Parrilla 23, 25 Sept / 07, 13, 15, 22 Oct
Tango Tanzpaar Yanick Wyler 23, 25 Sept / 07, 13, 15, 22 Oct
Markus Werba
Markus Werba stammt aus Österreich und studierte an der Musikhochschule Klagenfurt und an der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. Von 1998 bis 2000 war er Ensemblemitglied an der Wiener Volksoper und tritt seitdem an den renommiertesten Opernhäusern der Welt auf, wie den Staatsopern in München, Wien und Berlin, am La Fenice in Venedig, dem Liceu Barcelona, der Los Angeles Opera, der Opéra National de Paris, dem Bolschoi in Moskau, dem Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires sowie am Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Höhepunkte der jüngeren Vergangenheit waren zwei Neuproduktionen am Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florenz, wo er unter der Leitung von Daniele Gatti als Musiklehrer (Ariadne auf Naxos) und unter Zubin Mehta als Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) zu erleben war. In La Calisto an der Mailänder Scala sang er Mercurio, ausserdem gastierte er am ROH in London als Dottore Malatesta in Don Pasquale und in der Titelrolle von Eugen Onegin in Rom. Zu den weiteren grossen Erfolgen seiner Karriere zählen Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) in einer weltweiten Kinoübertragung der Met und in Produktionen am ROH und der Wiener Staatsoper, Beckmesser (Meistersinger) u.a. bei den Salzburger Festspielen, an der Scala, an der Met in New York und an der Staatsoper unter den Linden sowie Rodrigo (Don Carlo) am New National Theatre in Tokio und an der Dresdner Semperoper. Neben seinen zahlreichen Opernengagements ist er regelmässig in Konzerten und Liederabenden zu hören. Er trat u.a. in der Wigmore Hall, der Berliner Philharmonie, dem Musikverein Wien, bei der Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, im Mozarteum, im Salle Pleyel, der Philharmonie de Paris und dem Théâtre des Champs-Élysées auf.
Sine Bundgaard
Sine Bundgaard studierte am Konservatorium und der Akademie der Königlichen Oper Kopenhagen, wo sie 2003 ihr Debüt als Gilda in Rigoletto gab. 2006 debütierte sie an der Bayerischen Staatsoper München in Strauss’ Arabella als Fiakermilli. Seither ist sie auf zahlreichen internationalen Bühnen sowohl im Opern- als auch im Konzertbereich zu Gast und arbeitete mit Dirigenten wie Gianandrea Noseda, Ingo Metzmacher, René Jacobs, Kent Nagano, Bertrand de Billy und Enrique Mazzola. Seit 2009 gehört sie zum Ensemble der Oper Kopenhagen, wo sie zahlreiche Rollen ihres Fachs gesungen hat; u.a. Partien wie Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, Micaëla in Carmen, Nedda in Pagliacci und Nannetta in Falstaff. Jüngst war sie zudem als Jenny in Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, als Gräfin Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, als Ortlinde in Die Walküre, als Desdemona in Otello, als Liù in Turandot, als Despina in Così fan tutte, als Elettra in Idomeneo und als Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni zu erleben. Gastengagements führten sie in der Titelpartie von Theodora ans Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe sowie ans Händel Festival in Moskau. 2005 wurde ihre Debütaufnahme bei EMI mit Liedern von Strauss, Duparc, Berg und Poulenc als «Vocal CD of the Year 2005» nominiert, 2013 erhielt sie von der Königin von Dänemark für ihre Verdienste den Ritterschlag und 2020 erhielt sie den Reumert Award für «Sängerin des Jahres» für ihre Interpretation von Elettra in Mozarts Idomeneo.
Elbenita Kajtazi
The Albanian-German soprano Elbenita Kajtazi was born in Kosovo, where she studied voice in Mitrovica and Pristina. Since 2018, she has been a member of the ensemble at the Hamburg State Opera. Her repertoire includes roles such as Violetta (“La traviata”), Mimì and Musetta (“La bohème”), Tatyana (“Eugene Onegin”), the title role in Massenet’s “Manon,” Micaëla (“Carmen”), Liù (“Turandot”), Nannetta (“Falstaff”), as well as Countess Almaviva and Susanna (“Le nozze di Figaro”). In addition, the soprano has appeared at numerous leading opera houses, festivals, and concert halls, including the Vienna State Opera, the Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Opéra-Comique in Paris, Opéra National de Bordeaux and de Lyon, the Salzburg Festival, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Aalto-Theater Essen, as well as the Berlin Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Philharmonie Essen. Recent debuts and highlights include Tosca in Marina Abramović’s “7 Deaths of Maria Callas” at the English National Opera, Countess Almaviva at the Zurich Opera House, and Liù and Mimì at the Semperoper Dresden. In 2022, Elbenita Kajtazi was appointed Honorary Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo and in 2024 launched a project to promote Albanian artists in Germany. Upcoming role debuts in the 2025/26 season include Alice (“Falstaff”), Luisa (“Luisa Miller”), and Fiordiligi (“Così fan tutte”).
Morgan Pearse
Morgan Pearse wurde in Australien geboren und studierte an der Royal College of Music’s International Opera School. In der Spielzeit 2014/15 zählte er zum Opernstudio der Houston Grand Opera, wo er u.a. Papageno, Yamadori (Madama Butterfly) und Anthony (Sweeney Todd) sang. In jüngerer Zeit sang er Rollen wie Apoll in Monteverdis Orfeo auf einer Tournee des Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, die Bariton-Partien in Purcells Dioclesian, mehrere Händel-Partien beim London Handel Festival, Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia) an der English National Opera sowie die Titelpartie in Le nozze di Figaro und Papageno am Badischen Staatstheater Karlsruhe. Als Konzertsänger war er in Schuberts Winterreise, in Faurés Requiem und in Händels Messias an der Oper Sydney zu hören, trat mit dem Russian National Orchestra unter Michail Pletnev auf, sang Brittens War Requiem in Polen und Mozarts Requiem mit dem English Chamber Orchestra. Er konzertierte u.a. in der Londoner Wigmore Hall, dem Purcell Room, der Melbourne Recital Hall, im Konserthuset Kopenhagen, in der Royal Festival Hall, der Queen Elizabeth Hall und beim Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 2019 war er u.a. als Escamillo (Carmen) an der State Opera South Australia sowie als Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia) und als Masetto (Don Giovanni) an der New Zealand Opera zu erleben. Auf der Opernbühne sang er zudem in der Spielzeit 2021/22 Araspe (Tolomeo, re d’egitto) am Badischen Staatstheater Karlsruhe und Farasmane (Radamisto) mit dem Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale in der Bing Concert Hall in Stanford.
Sandra Hamaoui
The French-American soprano Sandra Hamaoui studied at the Conservatory in San Francisco and at the Juilliard School in New York. She is a prizewinner of numerous competitions; among others, she was a semifinalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and won first prize at the New England Regional Finals, the West Bay Opera League Competition, and the Mary Trueman Vocal Competition. Whilst still a student, she sang the title role in Gounod’s "Roméo et Juliette" with the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute as well as Adina in "L’elisir d’amore" with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music at the Kennedy Center. In the 2017/18 season, she was a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where she sang, among others, Ninetta in "Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen" and Pamina in "Die Zauberflöte". As a member of the ensemble at the Zurich Opera House, she appeared, among others, as Susanna in "Le nozze di Figaro", Gilda in "Rigoletto", Nanetta in "Falstaff", Gretel in "Hänsel und Gretel", and Lisette in "La rondine". Her recent engagements include the title role in "Roméo et Juliette" with the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Leïla in "Les pêcheurs de perles" at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, as well as the opening of the 2024/25 season at the Hamburg State Opera with the leading role in "Trionfi" under Kent Nagano.
Olivia Vermeulen
Olivia Vermeulen, in den Niederlanden geboren, studierte bei Mechtild Böhme in Detmold und bei Julie Kaufmann in Berlin. Zu ihren bisherigen Höhepunkten gehören ihr Debüt an der Berliner Staatsoper als Turno (Agostino Steffanis L’Amor vien dal destino) unter René Jacobs, eine Europatournee mit dem Budapest Festival Orchestra unter Iván Fischer mit Die Zauberflöte sowie Schumanns Szenen aus Goethes Faust in der Londoner Barbican Hall. Als Interpretin zeitgenössischer Musik debütierte sie 2017 bei der Ruhrtriennale an der Weltpremiere von Philippe Manourys Kein Licht mit Texten von Elfriede Jelinek. Bei den Bregenzer Festspielen wirkte sie als Saiko in der Weltpremiere von Thomas Larchers Das Jagdgewehr mit. An der Opéra National de Paris debütierte sie 2019 in Scarlattis Il primo omicidio unter René Jacobs. Diesen begleitete sie ausserdem mit dem Freiburger Barockorchester auf einer weltweiten Tournee als Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) und sang unter ihm ihr Rollendebüt von Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). Am Théâtre des Champs-Elysées und am Concertgebouw Amsterdam war sie in Mozarts c-Moll Messe unter Masaaki Suzuki zu hören und debütierte mit diesem Werk unter Daniel Harding bei den Berliner Philharmonikern. In der Spielzeit 2021/22 war sie u.a. als Solistin in Bachs Matthäuspassion mit dem Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century und dem Residentie Orkest zu erleben und debütierte im Rahmen einer Spanientournee als Dorabella (Così fan tutte) unter René Jacobs. Ihr erstes Soloalbum Dirty Minds wurde mit dem Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik und dem niederländischen Edison Klassiek-Preis ausgezeichnet.
Lea Desandre
Lea Desandre, the mezzo-soprano, studied in Venice, participated in William Christie’s Le Jardin des Voix in 2015, and was admitted the following year to the academy of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2021 Victoires de la Musique, the 2022 Opus Klassik, and the 2024 Prix de la Critique. In 2017, she made her debut in the title role of "Alcione" at the Opéra-Comique and appeared for the first time at the Salzburg Festival in 2018, where she has returned every year since, including performances as Cherubino, Despina, Annio ("La clemenza di Tito"), Vénus ("Orphée aux Enfers"), Abel (Caldara’s "La Morte d’Abel"), and Myrrah/Echo in the Vivaldi pasticcio "Hotel Metamorphosis", as well as in numerous concerts. She has worked with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Joana Mallwitz, Thomas Dunford, and Raphaël Pichon, and with stage directors including Sir David McVicar, Barrie Kosky, Robert Carsen, Christof Loy, and Jetske Mijnssen. Her repertoire also includes Rosina ("Il barbiere di Siviglia"), Idamante ("Idomeneo"), the title roles in "Ariodante" and Charpentier’s "Médée", and Dido ("Dido and Aeneas"). Concerts and recitals have taken her to venues including Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Musikverein, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, and the Shanghai Symphony Hall. In the 2025/26 season, she was heard as Handel’s Theodora under Thomas Dunford and as Mélisande ("Pelléas et Mélisande") at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. At this year’s Salzburg Festival, she will again appear as Despina. Her discography includes the solo album "Amazone", which received a Gramophone Editor’s Choice Award, as well as the 2025 release "Songs of Passion" with lutenist Thomas Dunford. At the Zurich Opera House, she most recently sang Poppea ("Agrippina").
Malin Hartelius
Malin Hartelius, in Schweden geboren, studierte in Wien, war dort Mitglied des Opernstudios und gehörte in der Spielzeit 1990/91 dem Ensemble der Wiener Staatsoper an. Von 1991 bis 2012 war sie Ensemblemitglied am Opernhaus Zürich, wo sie eine Vielzahl von Rollen gesungen hat, u.a. Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Estrella (Alfonso und Estrella), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Leïla (Les Pêcheurs de perles), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Gräfin Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira, Pamina, Elisa (Il re pastore) sowie Tatjana (Eugen Onegin). Gastspiele führten Malin Hartelius zu den Festivals in Aix-en-Provence und Salzburg, wo sie 1992 als Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) debütierte und seither als Blonde, Dircé (Cherubinis Médée), Adele, Rosina (La finta semplice) und als Pamina in von Winters Labyrinth zu erleben war. Ausserdem gastierte sie u.a. in Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Hamburg und München. Im Konzertbereich arbeitete Malin Hartelius mit William Christie, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Riccardo Chailly, Sir John Eliot Gardiner sowie den Wiener Philharmonikern, dem Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, dem Cleveland Orchestra, dem Philharmonia Orchestra, dem Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks und dem London Symphony Orchestra. Zu wichtigen Engagements zählen Mozarts c-Moll-Messe sowie Haydns Jahreszeiten unter Franz Welser-Möst, Haydns Schöpfung unter Adam Fischer, Beethovens Neunte unter Riccardo Chailly sowie ein Mozartprogramm unter Martin Haselböck im Wiener Musikverein. Malin Hartelius wurde 2010 in Stockholm vom schwedischen König mit dem Orden für Wissenschaft und Kunst «Litteris et Artibus» ausgezeichnet. Sie ist Dozentin an der Hochschule der Künste in Bern.
Yorck Felix Speer
Yorck Felix Speer, Bassist, gastiert an internationalen Häusern u.a. an der Alten Oper Frankfurt, dem Théâtre de Champs-Élysées, dem Konzerthaus und der Philharmonie in Berlin, dem Musikverein und dem Konzerthaus in Wien, der Semperoper in Dresden, dem Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, dem Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, dem Mariinskji Theater und dem Herkules Saal. Auch an Festspielen, u.a. den Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestspielen und dem Rheingau Musikfestival, ist er zu erleben. Zu seinem Repertoire gehören Bartolo/Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Hunding (Die Walküre), Fafner (Siegfried), Hagen (Die Götterdämmerung), Brander (La damnation de Faust), Räuberhauptmann Roberto (Ries’ Die Räuberbraut) sowie Orest (Elektra) und Jochanaan (Salome). Er hat mit zahlreichen DirigentInnen zusammengearbeitet, darunter Markus Poschner, Christoph Prégardien, Trevor Pinnock, Marc Minkowski, Howard Griffith, Sir Roger Norrington und Joana Carneiro. Seine umfangreiche Konzerttätigkeit führte ihn zu dem DSO Berlin, dem Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, dem Concertgebouworkest, dem Philharmonischen Staatsorchester Hamburg, dem Orchestre de Champs-Élysées, dem Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, dem Russian National Orchestra Moscow, dem Malmö Symphonic, dem Helsinki Baroque Orchestra sowie der Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, dem Elbphilharmonie Orchester und der Wiener Singakademie. Auf der Opernbühne war er zuletzt als Hunding (Die Walküre) am Staatstheater Kassel und als Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) am Theater St. Gallen zu hören.
Spencer Lang
Spencer Lang stammt aus Sandy/Oregon und studierte an der Juilliard School in New York sowie am Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Am Curtis Opera Theatre interpretierte er u. a. Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Goffredo (Rinaldo), Lechmere in Brittens Owen Wingrave und Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte). Zu hören war er ausserdem am Opera Theatre of St. Louis als Liederverkäufer (Puccinis Il tabarro), sang Flute / Thisbe in Brittens A Midsummer Night’s Dream am Aspen Opera Theatre und trat als Solist mit dem Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard 415, und der Northwest Sinfonietta auf. Von 2014-2016 war er Mitglied des Internationalen Opernstudios in Zürich und war hier zunächst als Daniel (Robin Hood), Hirt (Tristan und Isolde), Fay-Pu (Rote Laterne) sowie in Lohengrin, Luisa Miller und Fälle von Oscar Strasnoy zu erleben. 2015/16 sang er Monsieur Vogelsang (Der Schauspieldirektor), Don Luigino (Il viaggio a Reims) und Medoro (Orlando paladino). 2015 war er Finalist in der Wigmore International Song Competition in London. Spencer Lang gehörte zum Ensemble des Opernhauses Zürich und sang hier u. a. Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Arcas (Médée), Graf Gustav (Das Land des Lächelns), Jaquino (Fidelio), Mister Bobo/Ander-Bobo (Coraline), Tobias Ragg in der Musical-Neuproduktion Sweeney Todd, Tisiphone/Seconde Parque in Hippolyte et Aricie, Graf Boni (Die Csárdásfürstin), Andrès / Cochenille / Frantz / Pitichinaccio in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro sowie Le Remendado in Carmen.
Martin Zysset
Martin Zysset was born and raised in Solothurn. He trained in clarinet while simultaneously pursuing vocal studies, which he complemented with masterclasses with Ernst Haefliger and Edith Mathis. In 1990/91, he was a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House and at the same time a scholarship recipient from the Migros Cooperative Union as well as a prizewinner in the Pro Arte Lyrica Competition in Lausanne. Since 1992, he has been a regular guest at the Summer Festival in Selzach. He has been permanently engaged at the Zurich Opera House since 1991. Here, he has developed a broad repertoire of both buffo and dramatic roles, including Pedrillo, Monostatos, Spoletta, Incredibile ("Andrea Chénier"), Jaquino, Kudryash ("Káťa Kabanová"), Alfred ("Die Fledermaus"), Tamino, Tybalt, Dancaïro, Arturo, Knusperhexe, Brighella, as well as the male lead in Udo Zimmermann’s "Weiße Rose." He performed Simplicius in the operetta of the same name by Johann Strauss, which was also released on CD and DVD. Guest appearances have taken him across Europe, to Shanghai, and with "The Magic Flute," "Le nozze di Figaro," "Fidelio," and "Tannhäuser" to San Diego. For the Bayerischer Rundfunk, he recorded the Lehár operetta "Paganini." In Zurich, he has most recently sung roles including Don Basilio ("Le nozze di Figaro"), Tschekalinski ("Pique Dame"), Triquet ("Eugene Onegin"), the Chief Eunuch ("The Land of Smiles"), Goro ("Madama Butterfly"), Spoletta ("Tosca"), Dormont ("La scala di seta"), the White Minister ("Le Grand Macabre"), the Devil/Narrator ("The Soldier’s Tale"), the Third Jew ("Salome"), Schmidt ("Werther"), Feri ("Die Csárdásfürstin"), and Don Curzio ("Le nozze di Figaro").
Chelsea Zurflüh
Chelsea Zurflüh, soprano, studied voice at the Lucerne School of Music, the Bern University of the Arts, and the Swiss Opera Studio in Biel. She is a prizewinner of the Marianne & Curt Dienemann Foundation music competition and the Kiefer Hablitzel/Göhner music competition, a scholarship recipient of the Migros Culture Percentage singing competition, and winner of the Elvirissima vocal competition. In December 2019, she sang the national anthem at the Swiss Federal Palace in Bern on the occasion of the swearing-in of the Council of States. Although her repertoire also includes music styles such as soul and rock, her main focus lies in the classical field. In the 2020/21 season, she made her debut at Theater Biel-Solothurn in Burkhard’s Casanova in der Schweiz and at Konzert Theater Bern as Adele in Die Fledermaus. Since the 2021/22 season, she has been a member of the International Opera Studio in Zurich, where she has appeared as Circe and Calypso in Die Odyssee, as Alice in Le Comte Ory, as Zaida in Il turco in Italia, as Clarice in Il mondo della luna, as Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, and in Jakob Lenz.
Ruben Drole
Ruben Drole, bass-baritone, is from Winterthur and studied at the Zurich University of the Arts. In 2004, he joined the opera studio and in 2005 the ensemble of the Zurich Opera House, where he performed roles including Lucio Cinna (J.C. Bach’s "Lucio Silla"), Haly ("L’italiana in Algeri"), Argante ("Rinaldo"), Wurm ("Luisa Miller"), and Papageno in the production of "Die Zauberflöte" conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. As Papageno, he also made his debut at the Semperoper Dresden in 2015. Other projects with Harnoncourt included Kezal ("Die verkaufte Braut") and Haydn’s "Die Schöpfung" at Styriarte Graz, Beethoven’s "Christus am Ölberg" in Vienna and Lucerne, a Japan tour (Mozart’s "Requiem" and Handel’s "Messiah"), and Leporello ("Don Giovanni") at the Theater an der Wien. In the Zurich cycle of Mozart/Da Ponte operas directed by Sven-Eric Bechtolf and conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, he appeared as Guglielmo ("Così fan tutte"), Figaro ("Le nozze di Figaro"), and Leporello, the same roles he performed under Welser-Möst with the Cleveland Orchestra. At the Salzburg Festival 2012, he sang Achilla ("Giulio Cesare") and appeared in 2013 in Haydn’s "Il ritorno di Tobia" and Walter Braunfels’ "Szenen aus dem Leben der Heiligen Johanna." In Zurich, he has performed roles including Papageno ("Die Zauberflöte"), Alaskawolfjoe ("Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny"), Soldier ("Die Geschichte vom Soldaten"), Odysseus ("Die Odyssee"), Duchess/Caterpillar in "Alice im Wunderland," and Frank ("Die Fledermaus"). He also recently appeared in the ballet evening "Nachtträume."
Christine Theus
Christine Theus studierte in Basel, Freiburg i.Br. und Berlin. Sie entfaltet eine intensive kammermusikalische Tätigkeit, insbesondere im Bereich zeitgenössischer Musik. An zahlreichen Ur- und Erstaufführungen wirkte sie mit. Auftritte als Solistin hatte sie u.a an der Biennale Venedig, am Festival d’Automne de Paris und am Festival Wien Modern. 1994 gründete sie das Ensemble opera nova. Seit 1985 ist Christine Theus stellvertretende Solocellistin im Orchester der Oper Zürich.
Good to know
Andrew Moore
Tell us Andrew...
This interview was conducted in 2020
When and why did you decide to become an opera singer?
I began my journey in music studying music education to become a music teacher. I really loved the idea of giving back and teaching music because, for me, music was something I really cherished growing up. It wasn’t until my senior year of college where after several convincing conversations with my voice teacher, I decided to try performing. It was after my first performance in my first opera (guglielmo in «Così fan Tutte») where I thought to myself «I could get used to this...». It was such a rewarding feeling. Being able to use my voice to tell a story to an audience. I loved it. Since then, I began performing much more over the years, and has now taken me up to be in Zurich with the IOS.
If I hadn't become an opera singer, I'd be …
A flavor chemist. Chemistry was my favorite subject in school, and I wanted to work in a food science laboratory and create new ways of creating foods and flavorings with natural and man made ingredients.
Which was your most precious experience on stage so far?
I think my most precious moment was having the chance to sing some of the role of Papageno on the San Francisco opera stage with a full house in the audience. It was a feeling unlike any other and I treasure it, as it was my first time singing on the stage of a major house.
… the most embarrassing moment?
Once I was in a production of «Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat». There was a dance break, and in the show I had on the craziest wig. During the dance break, one of the dancers grabbed my neck in her choreography, and as she turned, she took my wig with her! And there I was: standing on stage in a bald cap. The entire audience burst into laughter. It was very fun though, I played it off very well. Something I will never forget.
… the biggest challenge?
Languages. Languages have always been a struggle for me. I work extra hard to make sure that I really understand my text and that things are pronounced as well as a native speaker would. I was once told the best advice by a colleauge that said: «Learn a new word in a different language everyday. This way, in a year, you would have learned 365 new words». When she put it like that, my struggle with languages became something that challenges me, but keeps me motivated to work hard and improve.
And what would be your biggest dream?
I’m not super sure what my biggest dream would be, to be honest. Being in this wonderful place like Zürich, is something a year ago I would have never imagined for myself. I have no idea what lies in front of me for the future, but im excited for the journey ahead.
Do you have a lucky charm or a ritual before going on stage?
Every night before a big performance, I use the small area in my bedroom and do a mini walk and talk, where I go through the motions and text of the show. It sounds crazy, but going to bed with a good feeling of confidence is key and helps me get a good night sleep for the next day.
My secret weapon to prevent hoarseness:
Tons and tons of sleep and not talking.
My idol:
Sam Ramey
Which opera character do you identify with the most and why?
Alfredo in «La Traviata». Although I am not a tenor, I am 100% a hopeless romantic. Someone who pursues not as a heroic chivalry act, but out of genuine love and affection. He loves deeply.
This song speaks out of the fullness of my heart:
«An die Musik» (Schubert)
Which is you favorite place in Zurich and why?
There is a little farm area on top of Sonnenberg past the Dolder called Adlisberg. It’s the cutest place and it has a really good restaurant with great food. I absolutely love it here.
What is your favorite word in Swiss German?
«Öpfuchüechli»
Andrew Moore studied in Philadelphia. He was a member of the International Opera Studio at Opernhaus Zürich and has been part of the ensemble since the 2022/23 season.