programme & tickets programme

StageVibes

Opera Cologne Podcast
Visual for the podcast StageVibes. The title appears in large black lettering on a pink-to-peach gradient background with vertical stripes in orange, yellow and light blue. On the right side are illustrated portraits of two smiling hosts. The design is modern, colourful and playful.
StageVibes – Opera Cologne Podcast © Bernd A. Hartwig

Opera can do it all: powerful emotions, compelling stories and unforgettable music – and now, a podcast too.

StageVibes presents opera in a fresh, engaging format for your ears. In five episodes each season, the education team at Oper.Stadt.Schule and the podcast specialists from Sendeeinheit introduce selected opera productions.

Each episode runs for around 25 minutes and offers a concise overview of the plot, fascinating background information and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights into the world of opera. Interviews with experts are paired with honest perspectives from young opera-goers, while authentic insider stories and humorous anecdotes reveal what usually happens behind the curtain.

StageVibes is available on all major podcast platforms.

Latest Episode

In the first episode of our second season, we explore Richard Strauss’s DER ROSENKAVALIER – an opera about love, status, dependency and the question of who really holds the power.

Listen to the Episode
Premiere image for Richard Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier”: The Marschallin touches Octavian’s cheek. The visual for the opera podcast “StageVibes” appears in the bottom left corner.

Next Episode

HOFFMANN'S TALES from 28 November 2026 | MY FAIR LADY from 6 March 2027 | MACBETH from 2 May 2027 | MADAMA BUTTERFLY from 6 June 2027

Impressions

  • The two podcast hosts, Anna Mangold and Sebastian Sonntag, sit in a recording studio wearing headphones and speaking into microphones. They are smiling and engaged in conversation. Books and plants on a blue shelving unit can be seen in the background. The photograph conveys a focused yet relaxed atmosphere during the podcast recording.
    Studio recording for the StageVibes podcast © Bernd A Hartwig
  • A red vocal score of Giacomo Puccini’s Manon Lescaut lies on a wooden table. Beside it are notes, printed documents, and a glass of water. The close-up photograph conveys the focused working atmosphere of a podcast recording session and shows materials used in the preparation and discussion of an opera production.
    Studio recording for the StageVibes podcast © Bernd A Hartwig
  • The two podcast hosts, Anna Mangold and Sebastian Sonntag, sit at a table wearing headphones and speaking into microphones. The photograph shows the studio from the control room’s perspective: monitors displaying the live recording are visible in the foreground, while lighting equipment, microphones, and technical gear reveal the professional production environment.
    Studio recording for the StageVibes podcast © Bernd A Hartwig
  • Several people are seated in the auditorium watching an opera rehearsal on stage. As singers rehearse within a stage set, the audience members observe the action attentively. The photograph offers an insight into the preparation of the podcast and the accompanying research conducted during a rehearsal visit.
    The StageVibes podcast team preparing an episode during a rehearsal visit with interviews © Janine Breidenbend
  • Three young adults stand in a foyer engaged in conversation. Two of them hold notes while listening attentively to a third person, an opera singer. The photograph captures an interview during a rehearsal visit and highlights the exchange between the podcast team and members of an opera production.
    The StageVibes podcast team preparing an episode during a rehearsal visit with interviews © Janine Breidenbend

What I enjoyed most was learning what goes into producing an opera and what happens behind the scenes.

Theresa, aged 17 (Podcast Team)

All Episodes

  • Der Rosenkavalier

    Premiere image for Richard Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier”: The Marschallin touches Octavian’s cheek. The visual for the opera podcast “StageVibes” appears in the bottom left corner.
    Season 2, Episode 1: Der Rosenkavalier – When Status Protects
    Listen to the Episode

  • Turandot

    Scene from the opera Turandot: Several performers with white-painted faces and elaborate ruff collars move expressively across the stage. In the foreground, one person raises their arms with their mouth wide open, while other ensemble members gesture dramatically in the background. The scene is energetic and theatrical. In the lower left corner, the cover of StageVibes, the podcast of Oper Köln, is displayed.
    Season 1, Episode 5: Say my name!
    Listen to the Episode

  • Le Nozze di Figaro

    Image from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro: A woman looks through a tear in a semi-transparent plastic sheet. Part of her face, one hand and a blue eye are visible. The StageVibes graphic is located in the bottom-left corner.
    Season 1, Episode 3: Beziehungsstatus kompliziert (Relationship Status: It's Complicated)
    Listen to the Episode

  • Manon Lescaut

    Image from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut: A person poses dramatically against a dark background while strands of pearls cascade across their face and shoulders. The expressive gesture and the luxurious jewellery create an atmosphere of glamour, desire, and emotional intensity. The StageVibes visual appears in the lower left corner of the image.
    Season 1, Episode 1: Geld oder Liebe? (Money or Love?)
    Listen to the Episode

I walked into the rehearsal and thought: So many talented people in one place. How is that even possible? It was incredible!

Barbara, aged 14 (Podcast Team)

Podcast-Team

The podcast team consists of seven young people between the ages of 14 and 23.

At a kick-off workshop, they get to know the world of opera and, together with Anna Mangold and Stephanie Sonnenschein from Oper.Stadt.Schule, identify the themes that matter most to them. The aim is to connect opera with their own lives and explore why it remains relevant and exciting for young people today.

The podcast team also attends selected rehearsals and speaks with the artists and creative teams behind each production.

Supporters

Produced by Sendeeinheit
Supported by the Victor Rolff Foundation

My biggest highlight was visiting a rehearsal. I was surprised and deeply impressed by how relaxed and human the working atmosphere at the opera is.

Martino, aged 16 (Podcast-Team)