Opera Ballet Vlaanderen to Open Season with New Production of Wagner’s PARSIFAL

Opera Ballet Vlaanderen will open its 2025–26 season with a major new production of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal. The production will premiere on Tuesday, September 23 at Opera Ghent, followed by a second premiere on Saturday, October 11 at Opera Antwerp.

For the first time, the acclaimed directing duo Susanne Kennedy and Markus Selg—known internationally for their innovative and experimental work—will take on a Wagner classic. Rather than psychological realism, Kennedy and Selg embrace the ritual nature of the opera, presenting Parsifal as an inner journey rooted in mystery plays, esotericism, and Buddhism, a spiritual dimension that fascinated Wagner himself.

Opera Antwerp has a distinguished history with Parsifal, beginning in March 1914 when it became one of the first houses outside Bayreuth to perform the work. Now, more than a century later, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen returns to the piece with a bold, contemporary vision.

The production is also significant as the final opera conducted by music director Alejo Pérez before his farewell. German tenor Benjamin Bruns, acclaimed for his Wagner interpretations, will make his role debut as Parsifal. German mezzo-soprano Dshamilja Kaiser will debut as Kundry, Belgian bass-baritone Werner Van Mechelen sings Klingsor, Turkish baritone Kartal Karagedik takes on Amfortas, and celebrated Wagnerian Albert Dohmen will perform Gurnemanz. Additional casting includes Kurt Rydl as Titurel, with members of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s Young Ensemble featured in the roles of Knights, Squires, and Flowermaidens.

The creative team includes scenography and video design by Markus Selg, costumes by Andra Dumitrascu, lighting design by Sascha Zauner, and dramaturgy by Tobias Staab and Piet De Volder. Jef Smits leads the chorus, with Hendrik Derolez directing the children’s chorus.

In conjunction with the Antwerp premiere on October 11, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen will host a symposium in collaboration with Vrije Universiteit Brussel, offering international journalists and audiences the opportunity to delve deeper into the theatrical universe of Kennedy and Selg and their approach to Parsifal.

Performance Dates

Opera Ghent: Tue, Sept 23 (5:30 p.m.), Fri, Sept 26 (5:30 p.m.), Sun, Sept 28 (3:00 p.m.), Wed, Oct 1 (5:30 p.m.)
Opera Antwerp: Sat, Oct 11 (5:30 p.m.), Tue, Oct 14 (5:30 p.m.), Thu, Oct 16 (5:30 p.m.), Sun, Oct 19 (3:00 p.m.), Wed, Oct 22 (5:30 p.m.)

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