Municipal theatres
Chemnitz Theatre is a five-section theatre consisting of opera, ballet, philharmonic, drama and puppet theatre.
Opera
The theatre square with the opera house, the König-Albert-Museum and the Petrikirche is one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in the city of Chemnitz.
The programme offers a wide range of performances for all ages and audiences, from classical to modern opera, from operettas to musicals. Maintaining the repertoire, in particular the stage works of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, is still a natural part of the programme today.
Further information and programme:
Ballet
The Chemnitz Ballet has a 24-member ensemble (12 women, 12 men). One focus of its repertoire is story ballets based on authors such as Shakespeare ("A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Romeo and Juliet") on the stage of the opera house. International choreographers also show their signature style. They present contemporary works in the ballet hall of the opera house, which is otherwise used for training and rehearsals. Ballett Chemnitz dances in opera and theatre productions across all genres. International dance companies, especially from Chemnitz's twin cities, characterise the festival for contemporary dance, "TANZ ǀ MODERNE ǀ TANZ", which Ballett Chemnitz hosts every year.
Further information and programme:
Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra
The Robert Schumann Philharmonic is one of the orchestras with the richest tradition in Germany. Founded in 1833 as a city orchestra by Wilhelm August Mejo, the orchestra became increasingly important beyond the region. On the occasion of its 150th anniversary in 1983, the orchestra was renamed the "Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra".
In addition to performances of opera, operetta, musicals and ballet, the 106 members of the orchestra also perform symphony concerts, special concerts and chamber music evenings. Children's and youth work plays a particularly important role in the orchestra's programme.
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Drama
In the days of Karl-Marx-Stadt, the Schauspielhaus was one of the most distinguished and progressive theatres in the GDR. Actors such as Ulrich Mühe, Corinna Harfouch and Michael Gwisdek began their careers here. Important contemporary directors such as Frank Castorf, Hasko Weber, Michael Thalheimer and Armin Petras worked in Chemnitz.
The main stage in the Schauspielhaus focuses on literary and dramatic theatre and presents renowned texts of world drama from antiquity to classical modernism. The east wing of the theatre focuses on premieres and first performances.
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Puppet theatre
Since the beginning of the 2011/2012 season, the Chemnitz Puppet Theatre has been based in the Schauspielhaus, where it has a small stage with around 100 seats. It is the oldest municipal puppet theatre in the former GDR and celebrated its 60th birthday in December 2011. The performances are varied and diverse: traditional puppet types such as marionettes, hand puppets and rod puppets are used, as well as open performances with mimic puppets and abstract forms of object and material theatre.
Further information and programme: