Shakespeare's play and Verdi's opera are a dark drama of power, tyranny, violence, the paranoia of rulers, but also of unfulfilled marriage. The transience of power and the injustice of autocracy lead to the decay of society, to the madness of tyrants, and to their downfall.

After nearly 65 years, the romantic opera by Richard Wagner is returning to the stage of the NDKE Opera, whose full title is "Tannhäuser and the Minnesängers' Contest at Wartburg". Wagner composed this opera during his Dresden period, where he worked as a conductor, and it premiered in 1845. He was inspired by the folk ballad of Tannhäuser, the mythical Venusberg, and the goddess Venus, who sometimes appeared as Frau Holda in medieval legend, a Nordic goddess of the underworld Hel.

After the successful performance of the Roberto Devereux opera with the main character of Queen Elizabeth I., the Opera of the State Theatre Košice continues Gaetano Donizetti´s Tudor Trilogy with the story about her mother Anne Boleyn. We will present the opera Anne Boleyn in semi-staged form.

The project HIDDEN VOICES / VOCI NASCOSTE presents members of the Opera Choir of the State Theatre Košice, who only occasionally sing minor solo characters in opera productions, in addition to their long-term performance in the Opera Choir.

„ After Shakespeare´s tragedy Hamlet and Leonardo´s portrait of Mona Lisa, The Magic Flute is the third great mystery of our culture.“ Peter von Matt, Swiss philologist and writer

The story of the opera is the story of the ruler Roger as a representative of a social system, a world of rationality, discipline and faith, disrupted by a mysterious Shepherd.  With the arrival of a modern prophet, who preaches hedonism and self-indulgence and is followed by crowds, not only the existing social order will be shaken, but Roger´s personal transformation will also begin.