The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is launching a new matinee format with the Apollo Salon

Press release of 10 September 2026

The atmospheric Apollo Hall at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden is becoming a salon: The Apollo Salon marks the launch of a new matinee format that will fill one of the theatre’s most impressive spaces with music, conversation and encounters on nine Sunday mornings throughout the season. During these matinees, the artists of the opera and their guests will offer insights into their creative work through a blend of music, text and conversation, and invite the audience to engage in dialogue.

The new format is curated by musicians from the Staatskapelle Berlin, singers from the ensemble and other artists, in collaboration with the dramaturgy team at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The programme is complemented by renowned guests from the worlds of culture, academia and society, who enrich the dialogue with their experiences and perspectives.

The new series kicks off on 18 October 2026 with a focus on Richard Strauss’s art songs: General Music Director Christian Thielemann will join Chief Dramaturg Detlef Giese to discuss a body of work that has been the subject of particular attention since Thielemann took up his post two years ago.

All of Richard Strauss’s orchestral songs will be performed during the Staatskapelle Berlin’s symphony concerts, conducted by Christian Thielemann. This artistic project, which is as exciting as it is ambitious, will continue as part of the first Apollo Salon with a performance of the famous Four Last Songs.

The discussion will focus on these and other song compositions by Richard Strauss, their musical language and their special significance within the composer’s oeuvre. The discussion will be complemented by further relevant musical contributions. Afterwards, visitors are invited to engage in conversation with the participants and reflect together on the experience – in keeping with the spirit of the Apollo Salon as a place of lively communication and artistic encounter.

Dates: every second Sunday of the month, 11.00 am, Apollosaal at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

Please send requests for press tickets, stating the nature of your editorial assignment, to pressoffice@staatsoper-berlin.de.

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden would like to thank 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.