Curtain up for new season
General Director Dr Christoph Dittrich and his artistic management team - Opera Director Christine Marquardt, Ballet Director Sabrina Sadowska, General Music Director Benjamin Reiners, Acting Director Carsten Knödler and Puppet Theatre Director Gundula Hoffmann - have presented the programme for the 2026/2027 season.
With more than 30 premieres, an equally large number of concerts and numerous repertoire productions, Chemnitz Theatre is presenting a diverse season. Advance ticket sales begin on 18 May 2026.
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Musical theatre
On 19 September, Chemnitz Opera will kick off the new season with the premiere of "Titanic - The Musical". The work with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone will be performed for the first time at Chemnitz Opera House. In January 2027, the opera "Robin Hood" is on the programme. From 24 April, "Tannhäuser", another work by Richard Wagner, will be performed under the musical direction of General Music Director Benjamin Reiners.
"Il trovatore" in November will be directed by the Italian director Jacopo Spirei. This will be followed in June by "Le nozze di Figaro" in a production by Nilufar K. Münzing. The opera "Rummelplatz" remains in the repertoire and will be shown again from autumn 2026.
Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra
The Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra is starting its second season under the direction of General Music Director Benjamin Reiners. On 3 and 4 September, the 1st symphony concert "Symphonic Opening Party" will take place in the Stadthalle. The programme also includes the world premiere of "Behind the Scenes" by Jonas Urbat, variations on a rococo theme with cellist Stéphanie Huang and "The Planets".
The 2nd symphony concert "Wellen schlagen" on 7 and 8 October will take place as part of the Year of Jewish Culture in Saxony. In the 6th symphony concert "What is truth?" on 3 and 4 March 2027, the St John Passion BWV 245 in the version by Robert Schumann will be performed together with the MDR Radio Choir and an ensemble of soloists.
Numerous concert formats will be continued, including "Im Klang", "Raum für Resonanz" and "True Crime meets Orchestra" on 25 March 2027. The "Klasse Klassik!" series includes "Swing! Groove! Mozart!" and Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid" with live orchestra in May. The family programme is also being expanded: In addition to the baby concerts, two new formats are being created with "Beethoven turns up" and "The orchestra gets dressed", giving children a playful approach to classical music.
Ballet
The season kicks off on 24 October with the premiere of "Hans Christian A" at Chemnitz Opera House. Ballet director Sabrina Sadowska devotes herself to the life and work of the famous Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen and brings his poetic world to the stage.
Another highlight will follow in March 2027 with the two-part ballet evening "Good and Evil", which poses the big questions of human existence with choreographies by Roberto Bondara and Lukas Zuschlag. The contemporary dance series will also be continued: With new editions of "Showcase" as well as "Made in Chemnitz" in 2027, Ballett Chemnitz is focusing on creative impulses and innovative signatures from the city and beyond. With "The Nutcracker", "Swan Lake" and "Romeo and Juliet", central works from the classical repertoire are once again on the programme.
Theatre
The theatre's season begins on 26 September with Friedrich Schiller's comedy "The Parasite" in a production by theatre director Carsten Knödler. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" will follow in October. Stefan Wolfram directs the cult musical "The Rocky Horror Show" for the Spinnbau stage, premiering on 20 March 2027. From 15 May, another comedy by Ray Cooney, "Und alles auf Anfang", directed by Philipp Otto, will be shown. The fairy tale "The Firebird" follows in December and "Igraine Ohnefurcht" based on Cornelia Funke on the Küchwaldbühne in summer.
In the East Wing, productions include "Die Reise von der Erde zum Mond", directed by Tilo Krügel, and "Amerika", the third Kafka adaptation by Bogdan Kocas. In January, "I am your human" deals with questions of identity and love in the age of artificial intelligence. The programme will be complemented from March 2027 by "The Last Time" by Robert Espalieu.
Figure theatre
The Figurentheater Chemnitz opens the season on 19 September with "Kiesel", directed by Gundula Hoffmann, for children aged two and over. From 30 November to 6 December, the 75th anniversary of the puppet theatre will be celebrated with a week of festivities. On 3 December, "Wunderkinder", a production with reference to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, will premiere. The cooperation project "Im Westen nichts Neues" with the Theater der Jungen Welt Leipzig will be shown in Chemnitz from 27 February 2027. Other productions include "Das Mädchen von weiterher" and "Armstrong".