Oiseaux Rebelles

Choreographies by
Dani Rowe and Mats Ek

From 12. October 2025 until 9. December 2025

Dates & Tickets

Duration :
approx. 2 hrs. incl. intermission after 1st part after approx. 35 min.
More information:
Introduction 45 min before the performance.

Vestige

Ballet by Dani Rowe
to Modest Mussorgsky’s “Bilder einer Ausstellung”
(orchestral version by Maurice Ravel)

Choreographer:

Dani Rowe

Dani Rowe is Australian and currently Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theatre (USA). After a ten-year career as a soloist with the Australian Ballet, she danced with Christopher Wheeldon’s company "Morphoses" and Houston Ballet before joining Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT 1). There she worked with Jiří Kylián, Crystal Pite, Mats Ek and Sol León/Paul Lightfoot, among others. As a choreographer, she has created numerous works for San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet and Royal New Zealand Ballet. Dani Rowe’s full-length ballet "Marilyn", inspired by the life of Marilyn Monroe, premiered in April 2025. It is the most successful programme in the history of Oregon Ballet Theatre to date and will tour to major American ballet companies until 2027. Dani Rowe is working with Zurich Ballet for the first time in 2025.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026

Musical Director:

Matthew Rowe

The conductor Matthew Rowe is from London. Since his debut with Dutch National Ballet in 2004, he has maintained a close association with the company and was appointed Music Director and Artistic Director of the Dutch Ballet Orchestra in 2013. In 2024, he stepped down from this dual role and is now Principal Guest Conductor. His important ballet productions include Christopher Wheeldon’s "Cinderella", Krzysztof Pastor’s "The Tempest", Shen Wei’s "Sacre du Printemps" and the world premieres of Ted Brandsen’s "Mata Hari", Yuri Possokhov’s "Violin Concerto" and Jorma Elo’s "Sibelius 4th Symphony". His extensive repertoire includes works by many renowned choreographers, among them numerous works by George Balanchine, Hans van Manen, Alexei Ratmansky and David Dawson. In addition, Rowe conducts classics such as "Schwanensee", "Der Nussknacker", "Dornröschen", "Romeo und Julia", "Don Quichotte", "Paquita", "Giselle" and "Coppelia". Further productions with Dutch National Ballet and the Dutch Ballet Orchestra have included the European premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s "The Fairy’s Kiss" and the world premieres of David Dawson’s "Requiem", with music by Gavin Bryars, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s "Frida", with music by Peter Salem. Matthew Rowe has also had a long-standing association with Nederlands Dans Theater, where he has worked with many contemporary choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Lightfoot/León, Marco Goecke, Alexander Ekman, Hofesh Shechter and Crystal Pite. Most recently, he conducted "Do Not Run, Do Not Fly", featuring world premieres by Marcos Morau and Yoann Bourgeois. He has also conducted performances with San Francisco Ballet, Vienna State Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, Hong Kong Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Finnish National Ballet, Polish National Ballet and Royal Danish Ballet.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026

Set Design:

Jörg Zielinski

Jörg Zielinski comes from Berlin and has been living in Switzerland since 1991. He completed his training and studies in Berlin, Basel, and Zurich. His production management at Theater Basel and his senior role at "The Really Useful Group" gave him experience with international theater productions. He worked at Expo.02 in Yverdon-les-Bains as well as on the spatial installation Hotel Offen in Baden. He gained design experience at Vitra. As head of the props department at the Zurich Opera House, he collaborated with the Shanghai Opera House. This collaboration led to contacts with the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing and the Zurich University of the Arts, where he was invited to give lectures. As part of a master’s program, Jörg Zielinski gives lectures at the Bern University of the Arts. He designs and realizes stage sets and scenic installations. Designs have been created for the Zurich Opera House, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the London studio "United Visual Artists," and various independent projects. His photographs have been published and exhibited internationally.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026 Art Matters19 / 20 / 23 / 25 Feb / 29 Mar / 4 / 11 Apr 2027

Costumes:

Louise Flanagan

Louise Flanagan is originally from England. After completing her ballet training at the Royal Ballet School, she danced at the Vanemuine Theatre in Estonia. She then shifted her focus to costume design, earning a degree from Middlesex University and completing a professional tailoring apprenticeship. She went on to work as a costume tailor on numerous high-profile films, musicals, and operas in England. Since 2013, she has been working as a freelance costume designer for dance and opera, collaborating with choreographers and directors such as Jörg Mannes, Kinsun Chan, Cathy Marston, Marcel Leemann, Terence Kohler, Sam Brown, Lillian Stillwell, Mauro Astolfi, Yuki Mori, Andreas Heise, Francesca Frassinelli, Peter Leung, Dimo Kirilov Milev, and Ihsan Rustem. Her work has been featured in international companies including the Bavarian State Ballet, Ballett Zürich, Ballett am Rhein, Stanislavsky Ballet Moscow, Theater Magdeburg, Theater Münster, Theater Regensburg, Oper Graz, Theater St. Gallen, Ballet du Capitole Toulouse, and the Origen Cultural Festival. She also assisted costume designer Emma Ryott at Ballett Zürich, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and the Staatsballett Berlin. Louise received a grant from the German Dance Association (Dachverband Tanz Deutschland) to research and develop a database of sustainably produced fabrics for dance costumes. By sharing and implementing her findings, she aims to reduce the environmental impact of new productions— taking a step toward greater ecological sustainability in dance and theatre.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026 Art Matters19 / 20 / 23 / 25 Feb / 29 Mar / 4 / 11 Apr 2027

Lighting Design:

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.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026 Tannhäuser26 Sept / 4 / 9 / 13 Oct 2026 Die Fledermaus29 Sept / 8 / 17 / 23 / 25 Oct 2026 Ein Sommernachtstraum11 / 16 / 18 / 25 / 28 / 29 / 31 Oct / 12 / 13 / 14 Nov 2026 / 19 / 22 / 29 Jun / 3 Jul 2027 Romeo und Julia20 / 27 / 29 Nov / 6 / 13 / 19 / 26 / 27 Dec 2026 Slow Rush16 / 17 / 22 / 28 / 30 Jan / 5 / 10 / 13 / 17 / 21 Feb / 29 / 30 May / 3 Jun 2027 Doctor Atomic7 / 11 / 14 / 20 / 24 / 28 Feb 2027 Timeframed27 Feb / 6 / 24 Mar / 1 / 3 / 9 / 18 / 22 / 28 / 30 Apr / 1 May 2027 Le nozze di Figaro2 / 6 / 8 / 15 / 19 May 2027 Samson et Dalila13 / 17 / 20 / 24 / 27 / 30 Jun / 2 / 9 Jul 2027

Dramaturgy:

Michael Küster

Michael Küster comes from Germany. After studying German literature, art history and speech science at the University of Halle, he worked as a presenter, author and announcer for various radio stations in Germany. There, he presented a wide range of classical music programmes and live broadcasts of major concert events, including from the Metropolitan Opera New York, the Semperoper Dresden and the Gewandhaus Leipzig. Since 2002, he has been a dramaturg at the Zurich Opera House, working with directors including Matthias Hartmann, David Alden, Robert Carsen, Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier, Damiano Michieletto, David Pountney, Johannes Schaaf and Graham Vick. As a dramaturg with Zurich Ballet, Michael Küster has worked since 2012 with, among others, Cathy Marston, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Kim Brandstrup, Edward Clug, Alexei Ratmansky, William Forsythe, Jiři Kylian, Mats Ek and Hans van Manen. With Christian Spuck, he created, among others, "Winterreise" ("Prix Benois de la Danse"), "Romeo and Juliet", "Messa da Requiem" and "Sleeping Beauty". At La Scala in Milan, Michael Küster was dramaturg for Matthias Hartmann's opera productions of "Der Freischütz", "Idomeneo" and "Pique Dame".

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026 Ein Sommernachtstraum11 / 16 / 18 / 25 / 28 / 29 / 31 Oct / 12 / 13 / 14 Nov 2026 / 19 / 22 / 29 Jun / 3 Jul 2027 Romeo und Julia20 / 27 / 29 Nov / 6 / 13 / 19 / 26 / 27 Dec 2026 Slow Rush16 / 17 / 22 / 28 / 30 Jan / 5 / 10 / 13 / 17 / 21 Feb / 29 / 30 May / 3 Jun 2027 Timeframed27 Feb / 6 / 24 Mar / 1 / 3 / 9 / 18 / 22 / 28 / 30 Apr / 1 May 2027 See the music, hear the dance22 / 28 May / 6 / 10 / 12 / 15 / 25 / 26 / 27 Jun 2027 Art Matters19 / 20 / 23 / 25 Feb / 29 Mar / 4 / 11 Apr 2027

Cast

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Ayaha Tsunaki

Him Erik Kim

Human Ayaha Tsunaki

Him Erik Kim

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Max Richter

Him Erik Kim

Human Max Richter

Him Erik Kim

Human Max Richter

Him Erik Kim

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Human Max Richter

Him Karen Azatyan

Max Richter

Max Richter is from the USA and received his ballet training with Houston Ballet II. Important choreographies during his engagement with Houston Ballet included Cathy Marston's "Summer and Smoke", Ben Stevenson's "Sleeping Beauty" and Balanchine's "Diamonds". Since the 2023/24 season, Max Richter has been a member of the Zurich Ballet. In addition to leading roles in Cathy Marston's ballets "Atonement", "Clara" and "Romeo and Juliet", Max Richter has appeared in the title role of Patrice Bart's "Giselle", as the bride in Bronislava Nijinska's "Les Noces", as well as in choreographies by Wayne McGregor, Jerome Robbins, Marcos Morau, Meryl Tankard, Christian Spuck, Marco Goecke, William Forsythe, Kim Brandstrup, Kenneth MacMillan, Hans van Manen and Mats Ek. The choreography "The Decision" was created for the "Next Generation" series.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Ayaha Tsunaki

Ayaha Tsunaki is from Japan. She studied at the Kyouko Kanda Ballet Academy in Japan, at the ballet school of Hamburg Ballet and at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden. From 2014 to 2025, she danced with Semperoper Ballett in Dresden, as a Demi-Soloist from 2021 and as a Soloist from 2023. Among other roles, she appeared as Julia in David Dawson's "Romeo and Juliet", as Odette in Johan Inger's "Swan Lake", in Alexander Ekman's "Cow" and in David Dawson's "The Four Seasons". Since the 2025/26 season, Ayaha Tsunaki has been a Principal Dancer with Zurich Ballet. Here, she has appeared in Hans van Manen's "Live", as "M" in Mats Ek's "Carmen", in Kenneth MacMillan's "Concerto", Christian Spuck's "Messa da Requiem" and as Julia in Cathy Marston's "Romeo and Juliet".

Oiseaux Rebelles13 / 18 Sept 2026

Karen Azatyan

Karen Azatyan is from Armenia. Trained at Yerevan Dancing Art State College and at the Zurich Dance Academy, he was a winner of the Prix de Lausanne in 2005. From 2007 to 2014, he was a member of the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich (Soloist since 2012). In 2014, he joined Hamburg Ballet as a Principal Dancer, where he worked closely with John Neumeier until his retirement in 2024. He danced leading roles and solos in many of Neumeier's ballets, including "Illusions – like Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "Death in Venice", "Peer Gynt", "Romeo and Juliet", "Nijinsky", "Liliom", "The Seagull", "Winterreise", "St. Matthew Passion", "The Song of the Earth" and Mahler's "Symphony No. 3". His repertoire also includes choreographies by Frederick Ashton, Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Marius Petipa, Jerome Robbins and Christopher Wheeldon. Since the 2024/25 season, Karen Azatyan has been a Principal Dancer with Zurich Ballet. Here, he has appeared as Robert Schumann in Cathy Marston's "Clara", Hilarion in Patrice Bart's "Giselle", as the Shadow in Kim Brandstrup's "Of Light, Wind and Waters" and as Romeo in Cathy Marston's "Romeo and Juliet".

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Erik Kim

Erik Kim is from the USA. He received his dance training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After an initial engagement with Ballet Nacional Sodre in Uruguay, he danced with Atlanta Ballet from 2021 to 2024. Among other roles, he appeared in the title role of Yuri Possokhov's "The Nutcracker", as well as in choreographies by August Bournonville, Ben Stevenson, Cathy Marston, Kenneth MacMillan and Juliano Nunes. Since the 2024/25 season, he has been a member of Zurich Ballet. Here, he has appeared, among other roles, as Benjamin Braddock in Cathy Marston's "Mrs. Robinson", as Mercutio in "Romeo and Juliet", in Patrice Bart's "Giselle" (Peasant Pas de deux) and in Hans van Manen's "Live". In 2026, he received the "Dance Prize of the Friends of Zurich Ballet".

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Ballet Zurich

Junior Ballet

Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House

Junior Ballet

Das Junior Ballett ist die Nachwuchscompagnie des Balletts Zürich. Seit seiner Gründung im Jahr 2001 erhalten hier ausgewählte junge Tänzerinnen und Tänzer aus aller Welt die Möglichkeit, nach Ende ihrer Ballettausbildung unter fachkundiger Betreuung in das tänzerische Berufsleben einzusteigen. Im Rahmen eines nicht länger als zwei Jahre währenden Engagements trainieren sie gemeinsam mit den Mitgliedern des Balletts Zürich, tanzen mit ihnen in ausgewählten Vorstellungen des Repertoires und sammeln so die für eine Tänzerlaufbahn notwendige Bühnenerfahrung. Einmal pro Spielzeit stellt das Junior Ballett in einem eigenen Ballettabend mit Werken international renommierter Choreografen seine hohe Leistungsfähigkeit und tänzerische Kreativität unter Beweis. In der Saison 2014/15 vereint das Junior Ballett dreizehn Tänzerinnen und Tänzer aus acht Nationen.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026 Romeo und Julia20 / 27 / 29 Nov / 6 / 13 / 19 / 26 / 27 Dec 2026 Ein Sommernachtstraum11 / 16 / 18 / 25 / 28 / 29 / 31 Oct / 12 / 13 / 14 Nov 2026 / 19 / 22 / 29 Jun / 3 Jul 2027 See the music, hear the dance22 / 28 May / 6 / 10 / 12 / 15 / 25 / 26 / 27 Jun 2027

Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House

Cast

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026 Die Zauberflöte20 / 25 Sept / 6 / 18 / 21 / 24 / 30 Oct 2026 / 2 / 8 / 18 / 20 / 23 Apr 2027 La rondine24 / 27 Sept / 1 / 10 / 15 Oct 2026 Tannhäuser26 Sept / 4 / 9 / 13 Oct 2026 Die Fledermaus29 Sept / 8 / 17 / 23 / 25 Oct 2026 Ein Sommernachtstraum11 / 16 / 18 / 25 / 28 / 29 / 31 Oct / 12 / 13 / 14 Nov 2026 / 19 / 22 / 29 Jun / 3 Jul 2027 1th Philharmonic Concert3 Oct 2026 Alice im Wunderland8 / 15 / 19 / 21 / 26 / 28 Nov / 6 Dec 2026 / 2 / 7 / 8 / 10 / 17 Jan 2027 Romeo und Julia20 / 27 / 29 Nov / 6 / 13 / 19 / 26 / 27 Dec 2026 Elektra22 / 26 Nov / 2 / 5 / 10 / 13 / 16 Dec 2026 Das Rheingold29 Nov / 4 / 12 / 17 Dec 2026 Gabetta & Noseda7 Nov 2026 Manon Lescaut11 / 15 / 18 / 22 / 26 Dec 2026 La traviata20 / 23 / 29 Dec 2026 / 1 / 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 / 15 / 19 / 23 Jan 2027 Die lustige Witwe27 / 31 Dec 2026 / 3 / 7 / 10 / 13 Jan 2027 Fuchs & Jordan1 / 2 Jan 2027 Trifonov & Järvi16 Jan 2027 Die Walküre24 / 31 Jan / 3 / 6 Feb 2027 Doctor Atomic7 / 11 / 14 / 20 / 24 / 28 Feb 2027 Roméo et Juliette12 / 19 / 21 Feb / 2 / 5 Mar 2027 Sorita & Lyniv14 Feb 2027 La fanciulla del west25 / 28 Feb / 3 / 7 Mar / 4 / 7 / 10 / 16 Apr 2027 Tosca11 / 14 / 17 / 21 / 24 Apr / 13 / 17 May 2027 L'elisir d'amore25 / 27 / 29 Apr / 2 / 6 / 9 / 12 / 14 / 17 / 21 May 2027 Le nozze di Figaro2 / 6 / 8 / 15 / 19 May 2027 Balanas & Peltokoski18 Apr 2027 Requiem pour Ophélie4 / 7 / 9 May 2027 See the music, hear the dance22 / 28 May / 6 / 10 / 12 / 15 / 25 / 26 / 27 Jun 2027 Don Pasquale23 / 27 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 11 Jun 2027 Samson et Dalila13 / 17 / 20 / 24 / 27 / 30 Jun / 2 / 9 Jul 2027 La bohème16 / 18 / 23 Jun / 4 / 7 / 10 Jul 2027 Don Carlo1 / 6 / 8 / 11 Jul 2027 Viotti29 May 2027 Rachmaninow – Die drei Opern1 / 4 / 8 / 15 / 18 / 21 / 28 Nov 2026 Benefizkonzert Anne-Sophie Mutter2 Oct 2026 Open-Air-Konzert4 Jul 2027

Carmen

Ballet by Mats Ek
to Rodion Schtschedrin’s “Carmen Suite”

Choreographer:

Mats Ek

Born in Malmö in 1945 and raised in an artistic family, Mats Ek first studied theatre, became an actor, then trained as a dancer and joined the company of his mother Birgit Cullberg, the Cullberg Ballet, which he later temporarily directed. In 1976 he began choreographing, creating socially critical works such as "Soweto" and numerous shorter pieces, adapting literary material such as "Bernarda Albas Haus" and reinterpreting, in his dynamic and expressive movement language, the cornerstones of the ballet repertoire. This led to "Giselle" (1982), "Le sacre du printemps" (1984), "Schwanensee" (1987), "Carmen" (1992), and "Dornröschen" (1996). He is also a guest choreographer for many of the world’s leading companies, working with the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Norwegian National Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Stuttgart Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, La Scala Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Paris Opera Ballet, among others. He writes, acts, and directs for numerous theatres. In 2008 he created "Place," a pas de deux for Ana Laguna and Mikhail Baryshnikov. He has also produced two video films with star ballerina Sylvie Guillem, and many of his best-known works have been adapted for television. In 2025 Mats Ek celebrated his 80th birthday. For the Royal Swedish Ballet he created the choreography "A Cup of Coffee" to mark the occasion.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026

Musical Director:

Matthew Rowe

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026

Stage design and costume:

Marie-Louise Ekman

Marie-Louise Ekman (born 1944) is a Swedish artist, filmmaker, playwright and arts administrator known for her distinctive and inimitable combination of visual art, theatre and film. In the 1960s, she joined the Swedish avant-garde and Pop Art movement. She developed a playful yet incisive visual language with which she explored themes such as gender, identity and social norms. Over the decades, she has directed numerous films and theatre productions and written numerous works for stage and screen. Beyond her creative work, Ekman has also held leading positions in the arts. In 1999, she became the first female professor and later President of the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, and served successfully for six years as Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden. Today, she is regarded as one of Sweden’s most influential contemporary cultural figures and is celebrated for her innovative, interdisciplinary contributions to the arts. Major exhibitions of her work have been held in Paris, London and New York. Her set and costume designs for Mats Ek include "Orpheus und Eurydike", "Das Haus der Bernarda", "Antigone", "Kain und Abel", "Giselle", "Der Park", "Schwanensee", "Carmen", "Bolero" and "Le Sacre du printemps" in London, Milan, Munich, Paris, Lyon, Stockholm and now also Zurich.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026

Lighting Design:

Ellen Ruge

Ellen Ruge was born in Oslo and lives in Stockholm. She has designed lighting for numerous theatre, opera, public building, and ballet productions across Scandinavia, Europe, the USA, Cuba, China, and the United Kingdom — including for La Scala in Milan, the Opéra Garnier in Paris, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Bavarian State Ballet, the Hamburg Ballet, the Warsaw Opera, the Semperoper Dresden, Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet Rambert, Cullberg Ballet, the Norwegian National Opera, the Finnish National Opera, the Icelandic National Opera, the Royal Danish Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid, and Scottish Opera. Further productions have been created at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Joyce Theater in New York, the Spoleto Festival, Brown University in the USA, the NCPA in Beijing and Shanghai, and Teatro Marti in Havana. She has been awarded, among others, the Swedish Critics’ Prize and the Swedish King’s Medal.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 13 / 16 / 18 / 27 Sept 2026

Cast

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Karen Azatyan

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nehanda Péguillan

Don José Wei Chen

Escamillo Joel Woellner

M... Ayaha Tsunaki

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Kilian Smith

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Karen Azatyan

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Karen Azatyan

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nehanda Péguillan

Don José Wei Chen

Escamillo Joel Woellner

M... Ayaha Tsunaki

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Kilian Smith

Carmen Nehanda Péguillan

Don José Wei Chen

Escamillo Joel Woellner

M... Ayaha Tsunaki

Hauptmann Karen Azatyan

Dancaϊre Kilian Smith

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nehanda Péguillan

Don José Wei Chen

Escamillo Joel Woellner

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Kilian Smith

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Karen Azatyan

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nehanda Péguillan

Don José Wei Chen

Escamillo Joel Woellner

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Kilian Smith

Carmen Nancy Osbaldeston

Don José Esteban Berlanga

Escamillo Brandon Lawrence

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Karen Azatyan

Dancaϊre Pablo Octávio

Carmen Nehanda Péguillan

Don José Wei Chen

Escamillo Joel Woellner

M... Shelby Williams

Hauptmann Jorge García Pérez

Dancaϊre Kilian Smith

Nancy Osbaldeston

Nancy Osbaldeston holds both Belgian and British citizenship. She received her dance training at the English National Ballet School in London. In 2008, she joined English National Ballet, where she received the "Emerging Dance Award" in 2013. In 2014, she joined Royal Ballet of Flanders, where she became a Principal Dancer. She regularly appeared as a guest with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich. She later danced with Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse. Her repertoire includes leading roles in choreographies by Yuri Grigorovich (Aegina in "Spartacus"), John Neumeier (Marie in "The Nutcracker"), Akram Khan ("Giselle"), Kader Belarbi (Kitri in "Don Quixote") and Pina Bausch ("Café Müller"). She has also appeared in choreographies by George Balanchine, Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Andonis Foniadakis. Since the 2024/25 season, she has been a Principal Dancer with Zurich Ballet. Here, she has danced leading roles in choreographies by Cathy Marston (Julia in "Romeo and Juliet", "Clara", Cecilia in "Atonement", "Mrs. Robinson"), Patrice Bart ("Giselle"), Mats Ek ("Carmen"), William Forsythe ("In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated"), Kenneth MacMillan ("Concerto") and Bryan Arias ("Colorful Darkness"). In 2026, she received the "Dance Prize of the Friends of Zurich Ballet".

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Nehanda Péguillan

Nehanda Péguillan holds both French and South African citizenship. She received her dance training in Johannesburg and at the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes. At Cannes Jeune Ballet, she appeared in choreographies by Jean-Christophe Maillot, Carolyn Carlson and Thierry Malandain. With the Dutch De Theater BV, she danced in the production "Nureyev" in 2023. After one season with Junior Ballet, she has been a member of Zurich Ballet since the 2024/25 season. Here, she has appeared, among other roles, in the title role of Mats Ek's "Carmen" and as Clara in Cathy Marston's ballet of the same name.

Oiseaux Rebelles13 / 18 Sept 2026

Esteban Berlanga

Esteban Berlanga is Spanish. After training at the Royal Conservatory of Albacete and the Professional Dance Conservatory of Madrid, he danced with the English National Ballet from 2006 to 2013. There, he was appointed Principal in 2012. Among other roles, he danced Prince Siegfried in Derek Deane's "Swan Lake", the Prince in Kenneth MacMillan's "The Sleeping Beauty", Albrecht in Mary Skeaping's "Giselle", the Nutcracker in the choreography by Wayne Eagling and Frédéric in Roland Petit's "L'Arlésienne". For David Dawson's "Faun(e)", he was nominated for the "Benois de la Danse". From 2013 to 2018, he was a Principal Dancer with the Compañia Nacional de Danza de España. From 2018 to 2026, he was a member of the Zurich Ballet, and Principal from 2022. He appeared in the title role of Marco Goecke's "Nijinski" and danced leading roles in choreographies by Christian Spuck (including "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Anna Karenina") and Cathy Marston ("The Cellist", "Snowblind", "Romeo and Juliet"). In 2024, he received the "Tanzpreis der Freunde des Balletts Zürich". In the 2026/27 season, he is appearing as a guest with the Zurich Ballet.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Wei Chen

Wei Chen is from the USA and received his training at Boston Ballet School, Margo Marshall’s School of Ballet, Walnut Hill School and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. At Royal Ballet of Flanders, he danced in Marcia Haydée's "Swan Lake" (Siegfried) and "The Sleeping Beauty" (Prince Désiré), as well as in Cranko's "Onegin" (Lensky). He also appeared in choreographies by Balanchine, Bournonville, Dawson, Forsythe, Godani, McGregor, Nureyev, Pite, Stevenson and Wheeldon. Since the 2013/14 season, he has been a member of Zurich Ballet and has appeared here, among other works, in choreographies by Douglas Lee, Jiří Kylián, Marco Goecke, Edward Clug, William Forsythe and Crystal Pite. He has also danced Romeo and Mercutio in Spuck's "Romeo and Juliet", Benno in Ratmansky's "Swan Lake", Coppelius in Spuck's "The Sandman", Albrecht in Patrice Bart's "Giselle" and Cello in Cathy Marston's "The Cellist". In 2023, he received the "Dance Prize of the Friends of Zurich Ballet".

Oiseaux Rebelles13 / 18 Sept 2026

Brandon Lawrence

Brandon Lawrence is from the United Kingdom. He received his ballet training at the Royal Ballet School. From 2011 to 2023, he danced with Birmingham Royal Ballet, becoming a Principal Dancer in 2019. Important roles included the Prince ("The Nutcracker"), Franz ("Coppélia"), Prince Florimund ("The Sleeping Beauty"), Prince Siegfried ("Swan Lake") in choreographies by Peter Wright, Romeo in Kenneth MacMillan's "Romeo and Juliet", Colas in Frederick Ashton's "La Fille mal gardée", the Prince ("Cinderella"), Beast ("The Beauty and the Beast"), Albrecht ("Giselle") and Otello ("Shakespeare Suite") in choreographies by David Bintley. He has also appeared in works by Carlos Acosta, Edward Clug, Jiří Kylián, Juliano Nunes, Twyla Tharp and Uwe Scholz. Since the 2023/24 season, Brandon Lawrence has been a Principal Dancer with Zurich Ballet and has danced leading roles in choreographies by Cathy Marston ("Atonement", "The Cellist", "Snowblind", "Clara", "Romeo and Juliet"), Marco Goecke, Wayne McGregor, Bronislava Nijinska, Mthuthuzeli November, Jerome Robbins, Christian Spuck, Kenneth MacMillan, Bryan Arias, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Kim Brandstrup and Andonis Foniadakis. In 2025, he received the "Dance Prize of the Friends of Zurich Ballet".

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Joel Woellner

Joel Woellner is Australian. He received his training at the Ben Stevenson Academy of Houston Ballet and with Houston Ballet II. In 2013, he was a two-time prizewinner at the Prix de Lausanne. After an engagement with Houston Ballet, he was a Principal Artist with Queensland Ballet from 2015 to 2024. Joel Woellner danced Des Grieux in Kenneth MacMillan's "Manon", Valmont in Liam Scarlett's "Dangerous Liaisons", Oberon in Scarlett's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Prince Ivan in Scarlett's "The Firebird", Prince Siegfried in Ben Stevenson's "Swan Lake", as well as in choreographies by Greg Horsman, Christopher Bruce and Jiří Kylián. Since the 2024/25 season, he has been a member of the Zurich Ballet. Here, he has appeared, among other roles, as Johannes Brahms in Cathy Marston's "Clara", as Albrecht in Patrice Bart's "Giselle", as Escamillo in Mats Ek's "Carmen", as well as in choreographies by Hans van Manen, Wayne McGregor, William Forsythe, Marcos Morau, Bryan Arias, Kenneth MacMillan and Crystal Pite.

Oiseaux Rebelles13 / 18 Sept 2026

Shelby Williams

Shelby Williams holds both American and Italian citizenship. She studied at Houston Ballet Academy, Washington School of Ballet and Dancer’s Workshop Baton Rouge (Louisiana, USA). After engagements with Semperoper Ballett, Corella Ballet and Ballet d’Europe, she was a Soloist with Ballett Mainz, Hessisches Staatsballett in Wiesbaden and, from 2016 to 2023, Royal Ballet of Flanders. In 2017 and 2018, she was nominated in the categories "Best Performance by a Female Dancer" and "Best News" for the "Critic's Choice Awards" of "Dance Europe Magazine". She danced Pina/Malou in Pina Bausch's "Café Müller", Rusalka in Alan Lucien Øyen's choreography of the same name, Myrtha in Akram Khan's "Giselle" and further leading roles in choreographies by Martha Graham, Johan Inger, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Andonis Foniadakis, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Édouard Lock and Jermaine Spivey. Since the 2023/24 season, Shelby Williams has been a member of Zurich Ballet, where she has taken on leading roles in creations by Meryl Tankard, Bryan Arias and Cathy Marston and danced important roles in the repertoire of Marcos Morau, Marco Goecke, William Forsythe and Mats Ek.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Ayaha Tsunaki

Oiseaux Rebelles13 / 18 Sept 2026

Karen Azatyan

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Jorge García Pérez

Jorge García Pérez is Spanish. He received his dance training at Estudio de Danza María de Ávila and joined Malandain Ballet Biarritz II at the age of 16. In 2005, he won the gold medal at the Premio Roma competition. Heinz Spoerli then engaged him for Junior Ballet and shortly afterwards for Zurich Ballet. In 2008, he became a Soloist with Ballett Basel under Richard Wherlock, where he danced numerous leading roles. In 2011, he made his debut as a choreographer. He won numerous prizes at renowned competitions, including in Hanover, Copenhagen and Burgos-New York. In 2016, he co-founded "Carta Blance Dance" and in 2024 the charity gala "Strength and Grace". Since the 2023/24 season, Jorge García Pérez has once again been a member of Zurich Ballet. In addition to his dancing commitments, he also works as a Rehearsal Assistant.

Pablo Octávio

Pablo Octávio is Brazilian. He studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim. He was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne in 2011. From 2012 to 2023, he danced with Badisches Staatsballett Karlsruhe. Important roles in Karlsruhe included Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio in Kenneth MacMillan's "Romeo and Juliet", the Prince in Youri Vamos's "The Nutcracker", Lucentio in John Cranko's "The Taming of the Shrew" and Albrecht in David Dawson's "Giselle". Since the 2023/24 season, Pablo Octávio has been a member of Zurich Ballet. Here, he has appeared, among other roles, in the title role of Marco Goecke's "Nijinski", as Joseph Joachim in Cathy Marston's "Clara", in Patrice Bart's "Giselle" (Peasant Pas de deux), as Dancaïre in Mats Ek's "Carmen" and in choreographies by Jerome Robbins, Marcos Morau, Wayne McGregor and Crystal Pite.

Oiseaux Rebelles11 / 16 / 27 Sept 2026

Kilian Smith

Kilian Smith holds British and Irish citizenship. He danced at the National Ballet of Portugal in choreographies by Fernando Duarte and Akram Khan. During his engagement with the Polish National Ballet, he performed in Wayne McGregor’s «Infra» as well as the roles of Mercutio («Romeo and Juliet»), Trinculo («The Tempest»), and Renfield («Dracula») by Krzysztof Pastor. Since the 2023/24 season, Kilian Smith has been a member of the Ballett Zürich.

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Ballet Zurich

Junior Ballet

Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House

Junior Ballet

Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House

Cast

Abstract

"L’amour est un oiseau rebelle", sings Carmen in Georges Bizet’s opera of the same name. The Swedish dance legend Mats Ek made Carmen the title heroine of a ballet for the Cullberg Ballet in 1992. In doing so, he draws closely on Prosper Mérimée’s novella on which the opera is based, in which Don José recounts Carmen’s story from his death cell. In his play with traditional gender roles, Mats Ek avoids familiar Carmen clichés and arrives at a deeply human interpretation. The Australian choreographer Dani Rowe, now director of the Oregon Ballet Theatre, presents her work "Vestige" – set to Mussorgsky’s "Pictures at an Exhibition" in Maurice Ravel’s orchestral version. Here, a life is examined: in episodic visions, figures, impressions and experiences pass before the central character, "Human", allowing her to draw new strength from memory.

Oiseaux Rebelles

Vestige

Dani Rowe

Matthew Rowe

Jörg Zielinski

Louise Flanagan

Martin Gebhardt

Michael Küster

Max Richter

Ayaha Tsunaki

Karen Azatyan

Erik Kim

Junior Ballet

Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House

Cast

Carmen

Mats Ek

Matthew Rowe

Marie-Louise Ekman

Ellen Ruge

Nancy Osbaldeston

Nehanda Péguillan

Esteban Berlanga

Wei Chen

Brandon Lawrence

Joel Woellner

Shelby Williams

Ayaha Tsunaki

Karen Azatyan

Jorge García Pérez

Pablo Octávio

Kilian Smith

Junior Ballet

Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House

Cast

Rehearsal Trailer «Carmen»

Rehearsal Trailer «Vestige»

Rehearsal Trailer «Carmen»

Rehearsal Trailer «Vestige»