Wrocław Opera Orchestra

Wrocław Opera Orchestra

The opera tradition in Wrocław dates back almost 300 years, although music had already accompanied staged dramas in the city in earlier centuries. Between 1725 and 1734, a group of Italian singers and musicians presented operas in the Ballhaus building. The first permanent theatre in Breslau (Wrocław) was established at the end of 1742. In 1754, the city’s first theatre building, commonly known as the Kalte Asche, was built. This venue served as the cultural centre of Wrocław. The opera repertoire presented there included works composed by the most renowned artists of the time, with Mozart at the forefront. In this theatre, a young Carl Maria von Weber began his conducting career in 1804–1806. The present theatre building on Świdnicka Street was officially opened on 13 September 1841. Despite wars and border changes, performances and concerts have been held there ever since. The Wrocław Opera has always attracted great artists, among them Ferenc Liszt, Pietro Mascagni, Richard Strauss, Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, Ada Sari, Piotr Beczała and, most recently, Aleksandra Kurzak.