O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre celebrates 20th anniversary

The O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre Theatre (once started under the name Operadagen Rotterdam) has become an international example in the field of opera innovation. From 23 May to 1 June, the festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with performances by Silbersee, Nicole Beutler and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, among others. The full programme will be announced in early April, when sales of single tickets for performances will also start. Day tickets and passe-partouts are already on sale now via this link for an advantageous early booking price.

The festival features performances and concerts throughout the city. From works in progress to world premieres, made by young makers and established names from home and abroad.

''A common thread running through next year's programming is the use of singing choirs. More than ever, it is becoming clear how important it is for us to connect people with each other, and what can provide that more than singing together? At O., we bring together all kinds of voices, from professional to amateur, from young to old, from Western to far beyond and from classical to contemporary,'' explains Guy Coolen, artistic director O.

Opening performance

On Friday 23 May, Silbersee O. 2025 kicks off with Café the Redemption, an imaginative folk opera by composer Akim Moïseenkov featuring locally recruited seniors. The cast also includes singers Fanny Alofs and Florian Slangen, percussionist Baue Kunstman and the Café choir of 'forgotten old souls'. After the opening night, Café the Redemption can be seen until 28 May.

On the first weekend of the festival, Hannibal provides a sizzling mix of opera, slam, house and much more at TR25 Schouwburg. On the same days, 24 Italian Songs & Arias by Brian Lobel with Gweneth-Ann Rand (soprano) and guests of honour can be seen at Kantine Walhalla, a performance about being rejected in the professional world. In Dante Songbook, Sterre Konijn (in collaboration with Silbersee) descends into the dark caverns of Dante's world and her own soul, in search of love as well as darkness.

In Now We Are Earth, all earthlings, humans, animals, plants, fungi and technology, go in search of balance. Nicole Beutler, artist in residence, is the creator of this musical, visual dance opera with a vision of the future.

Rotterdam parties team up for Anima Obscura

The festival closes in the last weekend of May with, among others, Anima Obscura, the human quest for immortality in an innovative total experience with dance, live music, holograms, animations and video performance. For this performance, Rotterdam-based parties are working closely together: Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Laurens Symphonic, the new Luxor and O.

On the same weekend, artist in residence Andrea Voets (Resonate Productions) presents CHORA, in which she presents an attempt at recovery for people who have been fundamentally excluded, oppressed and humiliated during their lives.

Cover photo: Rosa Quist