First Stage Dinner at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden: A Gala Evening for the Arts

Press release of 7 September 2026

A special evening celebrating the arts and all those who make them possible: On Friday, September 4, the State Opera and the Board of Trustees of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Foundation, under the patronage of Berlin’s Governing Mayor, Kai Wegner, hosted their first-ever Dinner on Stage event. Around 200 representatives from the worlds of business, culture, and society gathered in the Grand Hall of the State Opera for a festive gala evening. The focus was not only on the shared experience of music and fine dining, but also on an important cause: art needs patrons.

With the Stage Dinner, the Staatsoper has created a new format that combines the artistic experience with private philanthropy. Proceeds from the evening go toward promoting emerging artists and support the International Opera Studio of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The Staatsoper Unter den Linden Foundation, established in 2023, brings together this private support with the Board of Trustees, founded in March, and helps to sustainably promote the Staatsoper’s outstanding artistic work.

Elisabeth Sobotka, Artistic Director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden:

“The Stage Dinner brings together, in a special way, people who feel connected to the Staatsoper and its artistic work. Private support gives us the opportunity to realize important creative projects and, in particular, to support the young artists of our International Opera Studio on their journey. I am delighted by the tremendous support we have received for this first Stage Dinner, and I thank everyone who is working with us to secure the future of the Staatsoper.”

Among the evening’s guests were Artistic Director Elisabeth Sobotka, General Music Director Christian Thielemann, and Executive Director Ronny Unganz, as well as numerous prominent figures from the worlds of culture, politics, business, and society. Renowned artists also took part in this special evening, including soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who is currently rehearsing at the State Opera for the season’s first premiere, Gaspare Spontini’s La Vestale, as well as tenor Jonathan Tetelman, who can currently be seen on the State Opera stage in Samson et Dalila.

The Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by Christian Thielemann, provided the festive musical accompaniment. The program featured arias and instrumental music by Carl Maria von Weber, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Johann Strauss. The singers performing were Sonya Yoncheva, Ben Bliss, René Pape, Elena Villalón, Anna Kissjudit, Simon Keenlyside, and Marina Prudenskaya.

With its first Dinner on stage, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden underscored the importance of private support for the arts.

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden thanks the Friends and Patrons of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Board of Trustees of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and its main partner, BMW, for their support.