SEMELE Comes to the Dutch National Opera in 2026
Semele has never before been staged in Amsterdam.
By: Stephi Wild Dec. 10, 2025
The Dutch National Opera will perform Semele next year. Performances will run 17 – 29 January 2026.
Semele has never before been staged in Amsterdam. In this opera, George Frideric Handel embraced the English tradition of narrative theatre, breaking away from Italian conventions. Drawing inspiration from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, he created a work that is both intimate and grand. By combining a dramatic operatic style with the lyrical sensitivity of an oratorio, Semele holds a unique place in Handel’s repertoire.
After their acclaimed performance of Giulio Cesare in the 2022 – 2023 season, conductor Emmanuelle Haïm and her Le Concert d’Astrée return to Amsterdam. Director Claus Guth, widely praised at Dutch National Opera for his powerful stagings of Jephtha (2016) and Rodelinda (2020), now adds Semele to his impressive series of Handel productions.
The title role is performed by soprano Elsa Benoit, who makes her house debut. Countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński appears at Dutch National Opera for the first time as Athamas, impressing not only vocally but also as a breakdancer. The cast also includes Jasmin White, Jessica Niles and Florian Boesch.
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