12 July 2016 | Concert for our members
This year’s concert for our members took place at a very special place in the middle of Berlin: at Max Liebermann Haus right next to Brandenburger Tor. In this fantastic atmosphere, we celebrated the ending of a successful season 2015/2016 with our members. The Tilia-Quartett provided for the musical program of the evening and played Mozart’s quartet in D minor as well as pieces by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Viktor Ullmann. Eva Römisch (violin), Johanna Helm (violoncello), Andreas Jentzsch (violin) and Wolfgang Hinzpeter (viola) with their chamber music concert once more showed why the sound of the Staatskapelle’s strings belongs to the most beautiful in the world! At the reception afterwards we could enjoy the view on Brandenburger Tor and Berlin’s Reichstag in front of a fantastic evening sky.
We cordially thank the Berliner Sparkasse who invited us to this wonderful place as well as the musicians of Tilia-Quartett for their commitment!
26 June 2016 | Benefit Evening at Villa Jacobs
Benefit evenings at Villa Jacobs in favor of Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden have become a lovely tradition. Marianne and Stefan Ludes invited generous supporters of the Staatsoper to an exclusive concert at this wonderful place at the Jungfernsee. Soprano Elsa Dreisig and baritone Vincenzo Neri together with pianist David Robert Coleman presented a well-orchestrated program with arias, duets and songs – a fantastic and touching concert experience in a private circle. This special summer evening concluded with a festive dinner overlooking the Villa’s park. Thanks to the joyous atmosphere between the guests, artistic director Jürgen Flimm and the designated artistic director Matthias Schulz among them, and thanks to the hosts’ cordiality, this event will stick in the guests’ memories for a long time.
11-19 June 2016 | American Friends at Wagner’s Ring Cycle
Outstanding singers, a brilliantly playing Staatskapelle Berlin under Maestro Daniel Barenboim and highly celebrated performances: »Der Ring des Nibelungen« at Staatsoper im Schiller Theater was a very special event to which Wagner-lovers from all over the world had been looking forward to for a long time. So had the Staatsoper’s »American Friends«: In June they travelled together to Berlin to see Wagner’s epic masterpiece. The Staatsoper’s designated Artistic Director Matthias Schulz cordially welcomed the guests at the Schiller Theater and Daniel Barenboim took the time to personally greet them as well. The American Friends completed their visit of the city with guided tours and also took a look at the construction site of the opera house Unter den Linden where anticipation arouse for their next group trip to Berlin on the occasion of its re-opening in 2017.
4 June 2016 | Walk through Böhmisch-Rixdorf
In the heart of Berlin’s urban and lively district Neukölln, you can find an idyllic jewel: The Bohemian village. Descendants of the expatriates who had to leave their home country Bohemia in the 18th century because of their belief still live here. The architectonic structure of the settler’s village still exists. During one of her popular city walks, our volunteer Ingeborg Fischbeck guided us through this special part of Berlin’s history and showed us for example the »Böhmischer Gottesacker«, one of the oldest cemeteries of Berlin, many historic buildings as well as the backyard gardens in the Kirchgasse which can only rarely be seen.
13 - 16 May 2016 | Visit of the Staatskapelle Berlin in Prague
The Staatskapelle Berlin went on tour and the Staatsoper’s Friends and Supporters went with them! We accompanied the orchestra to the 71st Prague Festival in the golden city by the Moldau. Music, which had always been playing an important role in Prague, was of course in the center of our trip.
On our first evening, we saw Verdi’s »Nabucco« at Prague State Opera. The day after during a guided city tour, we visited the magnificent, neo-renaissance style National Theatre directly at the Moldau. After a devastating fire in 1881 – even before the official opening – it could be rebuilt within only two years with the help of the population.
The visit of the concert by the Staatskapelle Berlin and its maestro Daniel Barenboim who played Bruckner’s 5th Symphony in the splendid Smetana Hall was the climax of our trip. We celebrated the successful concert afterwards together with musicians of the Staatskapelle Berlin during a dinner at a beautiful Jugendstil restaurant.
During four sunny days, we enjoyed this architectonically rich city: Jugenstil, as far as the eye can see! Of course a walk over the famous Charles Bridge was part of our sightseeing walk. We had an impressive view of the city and the Moldau from the Hradschin.
29 March 2016 | Presentation of the new season 2016/2017 by Artistic Director Jürgen Flimm
Jürgen Flimm revealed to the Staatsoper’s Friends and Supporters to which new productions, highlights and special concerts they can look forward in the upcoming season and which evenings they should definitely keep free for the Staatsoper. With a glass of wine at the invitation of Südliche Weinstraße, they planned their opera visits.
15-24 March 2016 | Our program for the FESTTAGE 2016
20 years ago, Maestro Daniel Barenboim brought into being the FESTTAGE at Berlin’s Staatsoper. Since then, they have been attracting opera and music lovers from all over the world. Once again, we have invited our members and guests of the FESTTAGE to enrich their visit of the spectacular performances with further special events and to personally get to know the top class artists.
We started with »Spaghetti tutti« with the Staatskapelle Berlin: While dining with us, the musicians told us about their work for one of the most renowned orchestras worldwide. At our artists talk »ZwischenTöne«, our members had the chance to get to know two world-famous singers: Waltraud Meier, who sang her last Kundry during the FESTTAGE, and Bejun Mehta, the wonderful Orfeo of the FESTTAGE’s premiere »Orfeo ed Euridice«. And after a fantastic performance of »Parsifal«, we came together with artits of the evening at a reception in the Glassy Foyer of the Schiller Theater.
Our visit of the general rehearsal of the concert by the legendary Wiener Philharmoniker under the baton of Maestro Barenboim offered us exciting insights into the working progress of these two exceptional phenomena of classical music. At guided tours of the construction site Unter den Linden, we could get an idea of the current status of the refurbishment works at the opera house – we also had a look into the Barenboim-Said Akademie and the Pierre Boulez concert hall. Visits of the Bundeskanzleramt and of the art collection »Daimler Contemporary« completed our program.
24 March 2016 | »ZwischenTöne« – Talk with Bejun Mehta
Bejun Mehta is one of the countertenors in highest demand worldwide and regularly guest-stars at all international leading opera and concert halls. At this year’s FESTTAGE, Bejun Mehta enchanted the audience with his wonderful interpretation of Orfeo in the premiere of Gluck’s »Orfeo ed Euridice« under the musical direction of Daniel Barenboim. Members and guests had the opportunity to question him about his career as a singer and his view on opera as well as to learn a lot of interesting facts about the vocal fach of countertenor.
22 March 2016 | »ZwischenTöne« – Talk with Waltraud Meier
Waltraud Meier singing her last Kundry – it have been memorable and moving performances during this year’s FESTTAGE at the Staatsoper. Her saying farewell to this important role that she had been singing on the stages of the world since 1982 led us to make possible an encounter between her and our members as well as visitors of the FESTTAGE. In a most interesting and likewise enjoyable talk moderated by dramaturge Dr. Detlef Giese, Mrs. Meier gave us many insights into her career and her thoughts about the world of opera.
21 March 2016 | Meet & Greet with Jonas Kaufmann and Daniel Barenboim
Jonas Kaufmann and Daniel Barenboim – two greats of the world of opera encountered. Their concert in Berlin’s Philharmonie during the FESTTAGE was a great success. After the concert, the BMW AG, principal partner of the Staatsoper im Schiller Theater, invited donors and patrons of the Staatsoper’s Friends association together with members of the BMW Excellence to a Meet & Greet with Jonas Kaufmann and Daniel Barenboim.
20 March 2016 | »Parsifal«: Reception with artists of the evening
We celebrated the revival of »Parsifal« during the FESTTAGE 2016 with members and guests at a reception in the Glassy Foyer of the Schiller Theater. Many artists of the evening came by to drink to the performance and the FESTTAGE with us. It was a great pleasure to welcome Andreas Schager (Parsifal), René Pape (Gurnemanz), Tómas Tómasson (Klingsor), Florian Hoffmann (3rd Knappe), Dominic Barberi (2. Gralsritter), the »Blumenmädchen« Sónia Grané, Natalia Skrycka, Julia Novikova, Adriane Queiroz and Anja Schlosser as well as members of the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Staatsopernchor. The guests had the opportunity to get into conversation with the artists, talk with other music lovers and in this great atmosphere let the evening draw to an end.
16 October 2015 | »ZwischenKlänge«: Opening of the symposium »450 Years Staatskapelle Berlin
In 2020, the Staatskapelle Berlin will celebrate its 450th birthday. In a series of conferences, the tradition-rich history of this special orchestra will be examined. The first symposium tracked the development from the origins of the Brandenburgische Hofkapelle until the early 18th century. For the opening, we invited our members to Charlottenburg Castle. After a guided tour through the impressive castle complex, we visited the opening lecture of the symposium where Maestro Daniel Barenboim welcomed the guests.
13 October 2015 | Staatsoper for cinema pricing: »Tosca« for everyone under 35
»Staatsoper for cinema pricing«: Under this slogan, the Friends and Supporters once more offered 300 young people under 35 to watch a performance at the Staatsoper im Schiller Theater for just 8,- euros. On 13 October 2015, Puccini’s »Tosca« was on the program. A fantastic ensemble of singers around Anja Kampe and Michael Volle thrilled the young audience. With a glass of wine at the invitation of the Südliche Weinstraße, the participants had opened the evening in the Glassy Foyer of the Schiller Theater.
»Staatsoper for cinema pricing« is made possible by membership fees and donations.
09 - 11 October 2015 | International Opera Weekend by the Staatsoper’s Young Friends
The International Opera Weekend by our Young Friends celebrated a jubilee! For the 10th time already, we invited young opera friends from all over Europe to Berlin for three days in order to get to know our outstanding opera and cultural scene. All places were assigned within no time. 50 opera fans under 35 years together visited the superb new production of »Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg« with Maestro Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper im Schiller Theater, a concert with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker in the Philharmonie where the audience enthusiastically celebrated the orchestra and »Die Hochzeit des Figaro« at the Deutsche Oper.
19 September 2015 | Guided tour of Schöneberg
With her enthusiasm for Berlin’s history and culture, our volunteer Ingeborg Fischbeck every year infects many members during her guided tours. This year, we could discover hidden places of the district Schöneberg with her. For example, we got to know the Lette-Haus on Viktoria-Luise-Platz. The walk ended at the famous Winterfeldt mart where we could treat ourselves to some fine food.
03 September 2015 | »ZwischenKlänge« – Meeting the Staatskapelle Berlin
Maestro Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin started into the new season 2015/2016 with a brilliant opening concert of the Musikfest Berlin which was dedicated to the music of Arnold Schönberg. Daniel Barenboim afterwards called it a »finest hour« of his work with the orchestra. At the subsequent reception with honorary guests of the evening, our members got to talk with musicians of the Staatskapelle Berlin. This meeting was the beginning of our series of events »ZwischenKlänge« at which our members can get to know the orchestra and its great tradition – in 2020, we will celebrate the Staatskapelle’s 450th birthday!