Opera

Imagine an elegant lady guiding you through a concert. On the stage, choristers in rows, the orchestra in tails, the chief conductor with a stern expression... Just an hour of misery that no one wants to experience! We are putting a STOP to all of this and presenting instead a NON-educational concert that will educate, entertain and certainly not bore you.

For children in the age range of 3-18 months  accompanied by their families (0-100 years).
A journey into the new world of music and fantasy in which children and adults meet with actors, singers and musicians, and all of them together set off for their first small / great adventures. Welcome to a World in which there are no limitations and where you may touch everything. Who knows whether you will discover if your child is a genius? But in any case, you can expect a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all the senses in a safe and inviting environment.

Although this original opera for the extremely young and their adult companions has found authorial inspiration in similar projects elsewhere in the world, for instance Scandinavia, it is actually based on our own musical and theatrical roots. This playful opera was created by one of our most successful composers of the younger generations Lukáš Sommer, who comes from Dobrá Voda near České Budějovice, and the screen writer and director is Jiří Ondra. Both authors are well experienced in creating works for children. In the studio at Na Půdě (In the Loft), stage designer Jana Hauskrechtová has used movable objects to create a fantasy world full of colours, shapes, light and fragrances (the performance will also include aromatherapy) that the children discover together with the adults accompanying them. There is no longer the classic division between stage and auditorium, but one joint area in which the spectators are included in the performance based on the principles of the “immersive theatre”. The production also involves the actors of the Small Theatre.

Experience the unforgettable summer atmosphere on the village square in Holašovice, South Bohemia.
The Opera of the South Bohemian Theatre stages this iconic work of Czech opera in the unique setting of the farmsteads of Holašovice – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The typical South Bohemian village has preserved its architectural form of the so-called Rural Baroque of the 19th century and is thus a completely authentic setting for the adventurous courtship of Mařenka and Jeník.
Kind-hearted humour, rural shrewdness and genuine cordiality – and above all, Smetana’s outstanding music. This is The Bartered Bride, which almost everyone loves. The solo roles are performed by top local singers. The choir, orchestra and ballet of the South Bohemian Theatre and the Jitřenka Children’s Choir also take part in the performance.

A brand-new opera composed by Jan Jirásek, holder of two Czech Lions. Commissioned by the South Bohemian Theatre, this new piece will take you through the turbulent Europe of the 17th century at film speed. It is a story about how to find paradise of the heart in the labyrinth of the Thirty Years’ War, plagues, religious intolerance, personal tragedies, and life in exile.

If the world-renowned musical composer duo Webber and Rice had not been attracted by the life story of Eva Maria Duarte de Perón, born on 7 May 1919, then this second wife of the Argentinian president Juan Perón would have probably been known only to historians specialising in Latin America. Her charisma, which helped her rise from the poverty-stricken countryside to the position of First Lady of her country and a modern-time icon, was also transferred to the famous musical. Since its first staging at London’s West End in 1978, this musical has been enjoying great popularity on Czech stages, especially in the outstanding translation of Michal Prostějovský.

In Czech translation with English subtitles.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebration with the glitter of operetta 

Apples, nuts, the smell of Christmas and the snow-covered countryside of our great-grandmothers outside the windows. A poetic and gentle staging of two key works about Christmas in South Bohemia, Jakub Jan Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass, and a selection from Holy Year Music by Adam Václav Michna of Otradovice. With this performance, we wish to introduce a new Christmas tradition.
 

Do you know what goes on behind the scenes during a theatre performance? You don’t? If you want to find out, then go on reading, because you will also have the chance to experience it. The fact is that the performance of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute is full of incredible setbacks. One trouble follows another, and the hapless stage manager in charge of the show tries his best to save the day. We hope you will help him to discover the cause of such bad luck. Are they mere coincidences, or is it something else...? Whatever it is, the performance must end successfully and the audience in the auditorium shouldn’t realize that something is wrong. And it is only up to you and Mozart to make sure the performance succeeds. Who knows whether he will arrive...

A family show mainly for children aged 6 to 12.

In Japan, a geisha is synonymous with beauty. But in Puccini’s famous opera, she is above all a symbol of fidelity. If her love is trampled upon, she has no choice but to die with honour. This production by the exceptional and internationally acclaimed production team of director Jakub Šmíd, with music by chief conductor David Švec, promises an enchanting theatrical experience.
The mysterious landscape of Japanese cherry trees in blossom will once again become the venue of the immortal story full of intoxicating music that is able to capture the slightest tremble of the human heart.

A unique opera with an impressive choir and ballet scenes heads toward an enthralling spiritual finale. It is a symbolic farewell of Mario De Rose to the South Bohemian Opera and, at the same time, the first direction of the new artistic director Tomáš Ondřej Pilař at his home stage. The eternal story of the fight between good and evil composed by the literary and musical genius of the Italian opera in one person and in one opera. Music that will make you feel dizzy, a production that will satisfy your desire for beauty, and an almost sinfully devilish nice guy whose side you will take all the time although you know that he is going to lose!

12. – 17. 8. 2025

The biblical story of the Saviour is connected to episodes from the life of the Schwarzenberg family – the founders of the baroque theatre in Český Krumlov and of the Bellaria summer pavilion. Thus, even you will be able to return to the baroque era and, under an authentic illumination, marvel at the performances of a cast numbering over a hundred artists, an imposing stage setting and, especially, brilliant music.

A family opera about a boy who wanted to grow up too soon

An original view of Carlo Collodi’s fairy tale in a brand new opera by Tomáš Hanzlík and Vít Zouhar, commissioned by the South Bohemian Theatre. Pinocchio does not want to sit at home any more. While other boys of his age are setting off for the world, his father, the woodcarver Gepetto, would prefer him to stay on his perch next to the other puppets. But Pinocchio does not want to be a cherished child anymore, he wants to be a young man! And that’s when he hears the beckoning of Blackbeard, who summons the boy to the Land of Toys.
Petr Hašek’s narrative production about the premature desire to grow up, the strong bond between father and son, and war that has the power to turn people into puppets.

Rosenberg Night is a unique experience that goes beyond the boundaries of an ordinary concert, theatre performance or historical sightseeing tour; it is a magical journey into the past, where history comes alive through music in the settings of one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic. Enter a night of mystery and elegance as you walk through the night apartments of Třeboň Castle, lit only by flickering candles, for an hour-long immersive tour with a glass of wine in hand. This historic space will come to life thanks to more than 50 musicians and singers who will fill the entire castle with the sound of almost half a millennium-old compositions that reverberated in these same rooms during the time of the last Lords of Rosenberg.

A comic opera in the distinctive style of the bon vivant Gioacchino Rossini, based on the Italian bel canto, and with a plot preceding Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Sparkling arias that will make you tap your feet and will echo in your head for a long time afterwards. Part One: how a cunning barber helps a desperate count find a beautiful countess.

Site-specific staging of the most important work of Czech Baroque mysticism. The lute has always been an image of celestial harmony, and Michna’s work depicts the story of the human soul on its journey towards this perfect harmony. It is populated with a multitude of characters, abounds in dialogue and changes of scenery, and alternates intimate meditations with mass scenes. The final destination of the spiritual journey is represented by the spectacular image of a wedding feast – a colourful celestial celebration. An extraordinary immersive production by Tomáš Ondřej Pilař that will vibrate the strings of your desire to experience beauty.

A tale of love for one’s country, music, a close person, but also for power and property. A tale about how wrongs between people can be righted and relationships mended even after many years. A Czech story with the historical backdrop of the Great French Revolution, presented with love, deep feeling, but also with kind humour.

There is no need to introduce the fascinating artistic personality of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian composer of the High Classical period who also left his mark on the Czech lands. After composing 21 operas that earned him the reputation of a genius throughout Europe, he wrote his last operatic work on a fancifully mystical theme, in which he made perfect use of his refined art of captivating the audience with music while at the same time introducing new and surprising musical images. This work, which has become one of the three most frequently performed operas in the history of music, is The Magic Flute.

In the plot of The Magic Flute the human world becomes intertwined with the world of myths and fables. We follow Prince Tamino’s fascinating journey to rescue an enchanted maiden, during which he defeats darkness and unveils the mystery of light. The work interestingly oscillates between a fairy tale, a parable and a heroic epic, and it is sprinkled with the humour and exaggeration of the Rococo era. His music could be best described as “a musical from the days of wide skirts and tall wigs”. It is brilliant, entertaining, perfectly understandable even to first-time opera goers, and such a concentration of pearls as can be found in the Queen of the Night's coloratura aria or the “pa-pa-pa” duet is probably missing in any other opera.

Our production returns to the original intention of the world premiere of The Magic Flute in 1791, namely to be understandable and entertaining for the widest possible audience, including families with children. This is also the reason for performing the opera in Czech. The directorial concept of Petr Hašek, who has long been involved in theatre for young audiences, breaks down the boundaries between genres and conventions flooding the stage with fantasy scenes, supernatural creatures, and unprecedented costume objects. The result is a very dynamic spectacle with the added bonus offered by the Holektiv dance trio, who introduce elements of the new circus and movement theatre.
Combining the magic of Mozart’s time with a spectacular twenty-first-century setting, this stage work is certain to be a powerful experience for die-hard opera lovers and first-time opera goers, including children. 

“When all people start to smile at each other and stop digging holes for each other, then it will be a blissful time for the world.” Oldřich Nový

A lively and energetic story that will entertain you the whole evening and surprise you with an unexpected witty turn every minute even if you are not a lover of Oldřich Nový’s comedies. Intelligent humour and the popular actors of the drama, opera and ballet ensembles on one stage and in one evening guarantee that you will laugh your eyes out. This musical comedy (or operetta) based on mistaken identities belongs to the popular genre of the well-liked Girl or Boy. The script and the music, based on an English subject, were composed by the important Slovak composer and hotelier Ján Móry from Banská Bystrica. The lyrics of the songs in the comedy were composed by Oldřich Nový.