On the 5th of June, during a press conference, we were introduced to the team preparing the staging of the first "Opera about Warsaw" (a co-production of Sinfonia Varsovia and the Grand Theatre - Polish National Opera), and the Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, Aldona Machnowska-Góra, announced the exact premiere date – the 19th of September, 2025. The composer, Cezary Duchnowski, will hand over the score to the performers this September.
As emphasized by the Director of the Grand Theatre - Polish National Opera, Waldemar Dąbrowski, "the process of rebuilding Warsaw itself was an 'opera,' a work of art," and thus the first opera dedicated to this subject will be presented in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the city's reconstruction after World War II. The libretto, based on the award-winning book "The Best City in the World" by Grzegorz Piątek, was created by Beniamin Bukowski, and the opera will be directed by Barbara Wiśniewska, whose family has lived in Warsaw for five generations and witnessed the post-war rebirth of the capital. The project council chose Wiśniewska's concept - she is a lecturer at the Warsaw Theatre Academy and a long-time assistant to Mariusz Treliński - through a closed competition
Under the direction of Barbara Wiśniewska and the project's originator, Jarosław Trybuś (Deputy Director of the Museum of Warsaw from 2012 to 2022), a team of renowned artists will work on staging the opera. The script is written by Marcin Cecko. The multimedia set design will be the responsibility of Natalia Kitamikado, who will collaborate with Aleksander Prowaliński (lighting) and Bartek Macias (audiovisual projections). The costumes will be designed by Emil Wysocki. The aesthetic complement to the acting will be the makeup and hairstyles by Mateusz Stępniak. The choreography will be prepared by Maćko Prusak. Sinfonia Varsovia and the Choir of the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera will perform conducted by Bassem Akiki.
As Jarosław Trybuś emphasized, the "good spirit" of the premiere will be the director of the International Festival of Contemporary Music "Warsaw Autumn" Jerzy Kornowicz, as the staging of "Opera about Warsaw: The Best City in the World" will simultaneously inaugurate the 68th edition of the Festival and the 2025/2026 artistic season at the Grand Theatre - Polish National Opera.
Project website: https://www.sinfoniavarsovia.org/opera-o-warszawie/
Photo: Wiktoria Antonczyk
