8 April 2022 - Designated Cologne Opera Intendant Hein Mulders presents his first season 2022.23

8 April 2022


DESIGNATED COLOGNE OPERA INTENDANT HEIN MULDERS PRESENTS HIS FIRST SEASON 2022.23

From autumn 2022, Hein Mulders will take over as the new intendant of the Cologne Opera.

Together with General Music Director François-Xavier Roth, he presented the programme for the 2022.23 season at a press conference in the StaatenHaus, the interim home of the Cologne Opera since the 2015.16 season. Hein Mulders’ programme focuses on a range of major operas with established and well-known as well as young, up-and-coming and international artistic teams and singers.

Hector Berlioz’s Grand opéra LES TROYENS will be performed at the opening of the season under the musical direction of General Music Director François-Xavier Roth. The special double evening DER ZWERG / PETRUSCHKA commemorates the premiere of the opera “Der Zwerg” in Cologne 100 years ago – in the very combination of opera and dance. For the first time, Oper Köln is collaborating with choreographer Richard Siegal and his company Richard Siegal / Ballet of Difference at Schauspiel Köln, for “Petrushka”. Following the avant-garde tradition of the Cologne Opera House, Hein Mulders also premieres one opera per season: this season the opera LA BÊTE DANS LA JUNGLE by the French composer Arnaud Petit (*1982).

The multiple award-winning performances of the Kinderoper Köln (Cologne Children’s Opera), international dance companies as well as popular and new audience formats open the house to young and old, rounded off by the „Opern-Air” at the Tanzbrunnen, the theatre festival for the whole family and the extensive and varied programme of the „Opera. City. School” department.

Cologne’s future intendant Hein Mulders is delighted about the warm welcome and has great plans: “Leading the Oper Köln into its new, important chapter is both a fulfilment and a privilege already now. I feel a bond with the city and its people. Together with my team, I invite you to experience opera in new colours: with exciting productions, unforgettable musical moments, informative introductions and opportunities to get to know each other personally.”

François-Xavier Roth, Cologne’s General Music Director and Kapellmeister of the Gürzenich Orchestra, sees great potential in the future artistic collaboration: “Hein Mulders and I are already in close creative exchange. I am very much looking forward to the productions we have planned together – both the repertoire pieces as well as a series of world premieres that will commence in this coming season. Opera is a living art form, especially here in Cologne!”

Advance ticket sales for the months of September, October and November 2022 will start on 20 June 2022. Subscriptions can be pre-ordered from 8 April 2022. Advance sales for the following months of the 2022.23 season will be announced in due time.

You can find the press kit here: https://www.oper.koeln/de/pressemitteilungen