(Credit: Staatsoper Berlin official website / Marcus Ebener)

Staatsoper unter der Linden has announced that it will end the 2020-21 season with a festival set to take place from June 13 until July 3, 2021.

Puccini‘s opera “La fanciulla del West” will open the festival with the premiere scheduled for June 13. The showcase is set to star Anja Kampe in the role of Minnie, Marcelo Álvarez as Dick Johnson, and Michael Volle as Jack Rance. The cast also includes Stephan Rügamer, Łukasz Goliński, Jan Martiník, Grigory Shkarupa, Siyabonga Maqungo, Jaka Mihelač, Adam Kutny, Florian Hoffmann, Andrés Moreno García, Viktor Rud, David Oštrek, Žilvinas Miškinis, Natalia Skrycka, Frederic Jost, and Spencer Britten. Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the production by Lydia Steier. The run of “La fanciulla del West” is set to end on July 3, for a total of six performances.

The concert version of Weber’s “Der Freischütz” will spotlight Evelin Novak in the role of Agathe, Roman Trekel as Ottokar, Reinhard Hagen as Kuno, Victoria Randem in the role of Ännchen, and Stephan Rügamer as Max. The cast will also include Frederic Jost, Jaka Mihelač, and Peter Moltzen. Alexander Soddy conducts. The performances are set for June 20 & 26, 2021.

Berlin’s opera houses are allowed to reopen in June after seven month-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven-day incidence in Berlin has gone below the critical value of 100, thus allowing the reopening of cultural venues under the strict hygiene rules.