Cologne Opera is one of Germany’s major opera houses with a long and distinguished tradition. Since the 2022/23 season, its artistic direction has been led by Intendant Hein Mulders. Grand opera, compelling music theatre, world premieres of international significance and the cultivation of the classical repertoire form the core of its programme. Throughout the season, the Cologne Children’s Opera also presents music theatre for young audiences.
At the heart of Cologne Opera are its opera ensemble and International Opera Studio, joined by numerous international guest artists. Cologne Opera collaborates with many international opera houses and festivals (Festival d’Aix-en-Provence / Glyndebourne Festival / Salzburg Festival / Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris / Bregenz Festival / Teatro Real Madrid / Theater an der Wien / Opéra Comique Paris / Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía Valencia / Teatro La Fenice Venice and many others).
Cologne Opera’s international standing has continued to grow since the opera house on Offenbachplatz opened in 1957. At the time, Cologne productions such as Weber’s “Oberon”, featuring Leonie Rysanek and Karl Liebl, and the world premiere of Wolfgang Fortner’s “Bluthochzeit” were complemented by guest performances from La Scala in Milan with Maria Callas and the Ballet of the Paris Opera.
The era of Intendant Oscar Fritz Schuh and General Music Director Wolfgang Sawallisch (1959–1964) included, for example, a production of Richard Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” directed by Wieland Wagner. During Michael Hampe’s tenure as Intendant (1975–1995), Cologne Opera established a worldwide network of partnerships. Since 1961, its International Opera Studio has also been the first institution of its kind dedicated to nurturing young talent in the German-speaking world.
Together with the Gürzenich Orchestra, Cologne Opera is a home for music theatre of the highest quality. Major world and national premieres of contemporary works—including Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s “Die tote Stadt” (world premiere 1920), Alexander von Zemlinsky’s “Der Zwerg” (world premiere 1922/new production 2022), Franz Schreker’s “Irrelohe” (world premiere 1924), Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s “Die Soldaten” (world premiere 1965/new production 2018) and Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “Sonntag aus Licht” (world premiere 2011)—have generated powerful artistic impulses from the cathedral city.
From 2015 to 2026, the Staatenhaus in Cologne-Deutz served as Cologne Opera’s venue while the opera house on Offenbachplatz was being renovated. Highlights there include Cologne’s first revival of Zimmermann’s “Die Soldaten” (2018), the complete, unabridged performance of Hector Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” (2022), Zemlinsky’s “Der Zwerg” marking the centenary of its world premiere in Cologne (2022), Richard Strauss’s “Die Frau ohne Schatten” (2023), the world premieres of Ondřej Adámek’s “INES” (2024) and Philippe Manoury’s “Die letzten Tage der Menschheit” (2025), as well as “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walküre”, which marked the beginning of a new production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (2025–2028).
In September 2026, the renovated theatres of the City of Cologne on Offenbachplatz will be ceremonially reopened and will once again become the home of Cologne Opera.