Wiener Staatsoper

As one of the world’s most prestigious opera houses, the Vienna State Opera looks back on a rich tradition while embracing a vibrant present. Each season, around 350 performances feature more than 60 different opera and ballet works, making the Vienna State Opera the house with the world’s largest repertoire. Its stage presents music theatre spanning over 400 years—from Claudio Monteverdi to Aribert Reimann—with a special focus on the masterpieces of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. The Vienna State Opera—originally opened as the Court Opera—was inaugurated on May 25, 1869, with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Among its distinguished directors of the past were Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Herbert von Karajan. Today, the world’s greatest artists perform across all disciplines on its stage. Equally unique is the orchestra in the pit: the State Opera Orchestra, whose musicians also form the world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic. The Vienna State Opera’s repertoire also reflects staging approaches from Margarete Wallmann to Frank Castorf—offering an unparalleled variety of styles and artistic perspectives.