Holland Opera

Printer-friendly version

Holland Opera

Engaging young people in the operatic experience

Language: 

Dutch, English, German or on request

Contact: 

Artistic direction: Niek Idelenburg and Joke Hoolboom

T +31 (0)33 – 202 09 20

E info@hollandopera.nl

I www.hollandopera.nl

Holland Opera was founded in 1994 and produces new music theatre and opera for children and young people. It’s Holland Opera’s aim not only to attract an audience, but to move, overwhelm and win it for life. Music and texts are usually written specially and they always reach a large audience.

When music theatre and opera for children is performed by inspired musicians it becomes a truly engaging experience. Research has shown that being involved with music stimulates the intellectual and social development of children.

Music has the ability to connect the right and left side of the brain; linking cognitive skills and social behaviour. This is very important because an essential part of making music is the ability to listen to one another.

The company invests substantially in the educational programmes accompanying its productions, as it strongly believes that the more a child is informed, the more he/she will gain from opera.

In 2010, Holland Opera moved to the Veerensmederij in Amersfoort, an old industrial building. The future queen of Holland, Princess Maxima opened this new house of music on 2nd October 2010.

International: 

‘As well as reinterpreting classic works, you are creating a new repertoire for a new generation of opera-lovers - seeking out composers who are both modern and able to speak directly to a contemporary audience.  Work such as yours is vital for the regeneration of our medium, and to ensure that there will be opera in the future’ (Jonathan Dove, composer).

One of Holland Opera’s productions for young people is Romeo and Zeliha, composed by Fons Merkies, based on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It is set in modern times and it is about two competing butcher families, one Dutch and one Turkish.

Newspaper De Volkskrant wrote, ‘Once again the Holland Opera team takes on a Shakespearean drama and creates an up-to-date and fresh opera for young people. The company knows how to build moments of tension comparable to West Side Story.’