The newly founded Children’s Opera Orchestra is realised in close collaboration with all 35 music schools of the Canton of Zurich and the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House. Talented children aged 8 to 15 from all regions of the canton are given the opportunity to further develop their musical practice, experience ensemble playing, discover well-known works of the operatic repertoire and perform on the internationally renowned stage of the Zurich Opera House.
In May & June 2026
Guided by members of the orchestra and experienced music school teachers, about 80 children work on excerpts from the operas «Carmen» and «Hansel and Gretel» – operatic literature that is usually performed only by professional orchestras. The children collaborate with artists and experience the orchestral operations at the Zurich Opera House from the inside. Over the course of ten months, they enhance their musical skills and discover what it means to integrate into an orchestral sound and become part of a larger whole. They learn to take responsibility within the group to create music together, which they will ultimately perform under the musical direction of General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and Ann-Katrin Stöcker, alongside soloists and the children’s chorus of the Zurich Opera House.
