Emily Pogorelc makes her role debut as Sophie in a brand-new production of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier at Opernhaus Zürich. This beloved opera blends romance, comedy, and a touch of melancholy in a richly detailed world inspired by Rococo Vienna.

The story follows the Marschallin, a noblewoman who gracefully lets go of her young lover Octavian as he falls in love with Sophie, the spirited daughter of a rising bourgeois family. With its sweeping melodies and emotional depth, Strauss’s score captures everything from lush grandeur to quiet heartbreak.

This new staging, directed by Lydia Steier and brought to life through the striking aesthetic vision of Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein, promises a fresh and visually arresting take on the classic.

Joining Emily on stage are Diana Damrau as the Marschallin, Angela Brower as Octavian, and Günther Groissböck as Baron Ochs. The production is conducted by Joana Mallwitz, General Music Director of the Konzerthaus Berlin, leading the acclaimed Orchester der Oper Zürich.

Team:

Conductor: Joana Mallwitz

Director: Lydia Steier

Choreography: Tabatha McFadyen

Stage design: Gottfried Helnwein

Light design: Elana Siberski

Video design: Tabea Rothfuchs

Dramaturgy: Kathrin Brunner

Orchestra: Orchestre de l’Opéra de Zurich

Chorus: Chor der Oper Zürich

Chorus Master: Klaas-Jan de Groot

Children’s Chorus: Kinderchor der Oper Zürich

Cast:

Die Feldmarschallin Fürstin Werdenberg: Diana Damrau

Der Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau: Günther Groissböck

Octavian: Angela Brower

Herr von Faninal: Bo Skovhus

Sophie von Faninal: Emily Pogorelc

Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin: Christiane Kohl

Valzacchi: Nathan Haller

Annina: Irène Friedli

Der Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin: Johan Krogius

Der Haushofmeister bei Faninal: TBA

Ein Italianischer Sänger: Omer Kobiljak

Ein Notar: Maximilian Bell

Eine Modistin: Rebeca Olvera

Ein Polizeikommissar: Stanislav Vorobyov

Ein Wirt: Johan Krogius