The theatre partnership
Deutsche Oper
am Rhein
Düsseldorf Duisburg
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg gGmbH is a theatre partnership between the cities of Düsseldorf and Duisburg which can look back on a long tradition of collaboration between the two cities. Since it was founded in 1956, it has consistently been one of Germany’s largest opera houses. With its ensemble of top-quality soloists, its chorus and the nationally and internationally acclaimed company of the Ballett am Rhein, it has established itself as a leading European venue for opera and dance.
Theater Duisburg / Opernhaus Düsseldorf
© Jens Wegener
It is located in one of the most extensive and densely-populated cultural regions in Germany. The cities of Düsseldorf and Duisburg alone possess almost 1.1 million inhabitants and both the adjacent regions and a large number of guests from further afield benefit from the artistic excellence offered by the Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
At its two venues, Opernhaus Düsseldorf and Theater Duisburg, whose combined audience capacity is around 2,400 people, it presents more than 280 events each year. These include opera and operetta, ballet, contemporary music theatre productions and a programme for young audiences, as well as gala concerts and numerous special events together with a contextual programme.
At its two venues, Opernhaus Düsseldorf and Theater Duisburg, whose combined audience capacity is around 2,400 people, it presents more than 280 events each year. These include opera and operetta, ballet, contemporary music theatre productions and a programme for young audiences, as well as gala concerts and numerous special events together with a contextual programme.
Following the premature departure of Prof. Christoph Meyer as General Director of Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Opera Director Marwin Wendt has held the position of Acting Artistic Director of the opera house since April 2025. Alexandra Stampler-Brown has been Managing Director of the opera house since 2014 and will now act as the sole Managing Director of Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg gGmbH on an interim basis. Since 2024/25, they have been supported by Vitali Alekseenok as Principal Conductor and the dual leadership of Ballett am Rhein Ballet Director Raphaël Coumes-Marquet and Principal Choreographer Bridget Breiner. The Leading Team has set itself the task of constantly developing the theatre’s artistic standards, continuing its musical tradition and at the same time opening up new artistic perspectives and contemporary interpretations.
The Leading Team
Philip Rabe (Technical Director), Bridget Breiner (Chief Choreographer), Jens Breder (Director of Communications, Marketing & Sales), Michaela Dicu (Director of Junge Oper am Rhein), Marwin Wendt (Interim Artistic Director), Vitali Alekseenok (Chief Conductor), Alexandra Stampler-Brown (Managing Director), Raphaël Coumes-Marquet (Ballet Director), Anna Melcher (Deputy Artistic Director & Chief Dramaturge)
Philip Rabe (Technical Director), Bridget Breiner (Chief Choreographer), Jens Breder (Director of Communications, Marketing & Sales), Michaela Dicu (Director of Junge Oper am Rhein), Marwin Wendt (Interim Artistic Director), Vitali Alekseenok (Chief Conductor), Alexandra Stampler-Brown (Managing Director), Raphaël Coumes-Marquet (Ballet Director), Anna Melcher (Deputy Artistic Director & Chief Dramaturge)
© Susanne Diesner
Scene from „Anatevka“
© Marie Laforge
The stages in Düsseldorf and Duisburg feature the great “classics” of opera literature—for example, works by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, and Strauss—as well as rarities from Baroque opera, operetta, and musical theater (including “Anatevka” and “On the Town”), important modern works, and commissioned works by contemporary composers such as Manfred Trojahn, Anno Schreier, Lucia Ronchetti, and the duo Marthe Meinhold and Marius Schötz.
Names such as Lotte de Beer, Johannes Erath, Tatjana Gürbaca, Claus Guth, Stefan Herheim, David Herman, Dietrich W. Hilsdorf, Immo Karaman, Barrie Kosky, Ilaria Lanzino, Lydia Steier, Elisabeth Stöppler, Michael Thalheimer, and Rolando Villazón are examples of the diversity of directors in recent years. Around 600 people from 47 countries work at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and each season more than 300 artists from all over the world are also guest artists here.
Scene from „Das Rheingold“
© Hans Jörg Michel
Oper am Rhein – for everyone
Committed to the principle of “opera for everyone,” the Deutsche Oper am Rhein offers “Hören und Fühlen” (Hear and Feel) on selected performance dates, providing tactile tours and audio descriptions for theater enthusiasts with visual impairments or blindness in ballet—and, since the 2025/26 season, in opera as well.
Scene from „Als wir nicht wussten wer wir waren“
© Rainer Schlautmann
Scene from „Pinocchio“
© Jochen Quast
Away from the big stage, musical theater is being reimagined at “UFO – Junge Oper Urban.” The mobile venue lands directly in the neighbourhoods of Düsseldorf and Duisburg, where it becomes a stage, a sound laboratory, and a creative meeting place. Here, participatory musical theater is created by and with young and old.
In addition, the Junge Oper am Rhein (Young Opera) also invites people of all ages to enjoy musical theater and dance. The program ranges from world premieres for young audiences on the big stage, such as the recent children's opera “Pinocchio,” to opera performances in the foyers of the Düsseldorf Opera House and Theatre Duisburg, as well as mobile performances in classrooms and daycare centers throughout the city, to participatory artistic spaces for all age groups.
With the children's architecture competition and the “Forum Opernhaus der Zukunft” (Opera House of the Future Forum), the Deutsche Oper am Rhein is involving the city's community in the plans for the new “Opera House of the Future,” which will house not only the opera, but also the music library and the Clara Schumann Music School from 2034 onwards.
In addition, the Junge Oper am Rhein (Young Opera) also invites people of all ages to enjoy musical theater and dance. The program ranges from world premieres for young audiences on the big stage, such as the recent children's opera “Pinocchio,” to opera performances in the foyers of the Düsseldorf Opera House and Theatre Duisburg, as well as mobile performances in classrooms and daycare centers throughout the city, to participatory artistic spaces for all age groups.
With the children's architecture competition and the “Forum Opernhaus der Zukunft” (Opera House of the Future Forum), the Deutsche Oper am Rhein is involving the city's community in the plans for the new “Opera House of the Future,” which will house not only the opera, but also the music library and the Clara Schumann Music School from 2034 onwards.
The largest ensemble of soloists in the world
The diverse repertoire of opera and ballet is performed by the artistic ensembles that are united at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. The soloist ensemble, which is one of the largest in the world with over 45 members, includes experienced and internationally renowned singers as well as numerous young artists who are starting their careers in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The permanent ensemble currently comprises 45 soloists and seven members of the opera studio. In addition, there are a number of guest artists, many of whom have close ties to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
© Susanne Diesner
Deutsche Oper am Rhein Chorus
While the respective orchestras of the two cities – the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra and the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra – contribute to the artistic success of opera and ballet performances in Düsseldorf and Duisburg, the choir of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein is present on both stages in almost all opera performances and selected ballet productions and is valued by the audience as an important artistic link in the theatre community. Without a captivating choir, the powerhouse of emotions known as opera rarely gets going!
© Andreas Endermann
A child of the Düsseldorf-Duisburg theatre community, the choir of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein has been proving night after night since its re-establishment in 1956 that its balanced vocal power and extraordinary enthusiasm complement the stories of the opera – and that in a wide variety of musical styles, genres and languages. Albert Horne has been choir director since 2025 and, together with his deputy Patrick Francis Chestnut, continues to build on the opera choir's outstanding reputation.
The Opera House of the Future
An important step toward the future was the decision on the winning design in the general planning competition in November 2025: the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta Oslo AS was selected as the winner by the jury. The award process is currently determining which firm will be awarded the contract to plan the future shared home of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Clara Schumann Music School, and the Music Library in Düsseldorf's Wehrhahn district. The Düsseldorf City Council will discuss the award decision in May 2026.