Opera Camps

In cooperation with the Vienna Philharmonic and with the support of the Salzburg Foundation of the American Austrian Foundation (AAF) and Solway Investment Group

In the opera camps, music-loving children and teenagers aged 9 to 17 become immersed in the world of opera and spend a week at Arenberg Castle with artists and experienced teaching professionals. Here they engage with material from great operas in a way appropriate to their age and conclude the week by performing their own interpretations of the works, assisted by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, in front of an audience.
For many children and teenagers, the musical and theatrical experiences at the opera camps, as well as connections they make with other youngsters, are a highlight of the summer holidays. This also lays the foundation for a lifelong love of music theatre.

On the opera Médée by Luigi Cherubini
For children and teenagers aged 12 to 15
Camp language: German, English

How far should revenge go? The sorceress Medea used to be willing to do anything for her beloved husband Jason. She betrayed her own family, helped Jason to get the Golden Fleece and fled with him to an uncertain future. But Jason failed to stay true to her. He left Medea and took their sons with him. We ask, how far should revenge go? The fabled story of Medea has been told in countless adaptations. Of the many musical settings, Luigi Cherubini’s opera Médée is regarded as one of the most noteworthy. Few composers have conveyed Medea’s emotional world so eloquently: here, the character is torn between love and jealousy, feeling and reason.

On the opera Œdipe by George Enescu
For teenagers aged 15 to 17
Camp language: German, English

Afraid that a terrible prophecy will come to pass, King Laius of Thebes disowns his newborn son Oedipus. But even though the child doesn’t grow up with his parents, there is no way to avoid the tragedy from taking its course. Oedipus kills the king without knowing that it is his biological father, saves Thebes from peril, becomes a ruler in his own right and unknowingly marries his mother, the queen. However, this is far from the end of the story. The ancient myth is breathtakingly set to music in George Enescu’s opera Œdipe. The questions this story raises are as thought-provoking to people today as they were thousands of years ago: who am I? Where do I come from? Are we controlled by destiny or do our lives lie in our own hands?

On the Opéra-bouffon Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) by Jacques Offenbach
For children aged 9 to 12
Camp language: German, English

Jacques Offenbach’s Opéra-bouffon Orphée aux enfers dishes up a chaotic and lively romp between the realm of the gods and the maw of hell. The fiddle-playing Orpheus attempts to rescue his wife Eurydice from the underworld. But does he want to free her? Would Eurydice honestly not prefer just to stay there? And why is a fly oddly involved in all this? Together we’ll discover Offenbach’s thrilling music. We dive into the operetta’s fanciful world of dreams, go on a journey to the gods on Mount Olympus, descend to the underworld’s deepest dungeon and finish up by dancing the can-can at Pluto’s party.