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Literature and Music

A Christmas Carol

The famous Christmas story by Charles Dickens in the concert hall
© KI generiert

12/10

Thursday | 12/10/2026
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal

Prices
from 64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
FLEX fee + 6 €
Reduced prices:
from € 10 for pupils under 18 
from €10 for young people under 30
from 11 € for Dresden-Pass and SB from GdB 80
Who receives discounts? Read here.

12/11

Friday | 12/11/2026
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal

Prices
from 64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
FLEX fee + 6 €
Reduced prices:
from € 10 for pupils under 18 
from €10 for young people under 30
from 11 € for Dresden-Pass and SB from GdB 80
Who receives discounts? Read here.

About the Concert

Duration: approx. 1 hr 30 mins without intermission

"Christmas is humbug!" grumbles the grumpy moneylender Ebenezer Scrooge, as he sits alone at home on Christmas Eve after work. Christmas joy? Not for him! Neither his nephew, who invites him to the Christmas feast, nor children singing Christmas carols can soften him. But at the stroke of midnight, his life is turned upside down: the ghost of his deceased business partner Marley appears - laden with clanking chains and an eerie warning. Scrooge must change his ways, or else face a similar fate! Before he knows it, he is taken on a moving journey through past, present, and future by the spirits of Christmas. Faced with the consequences of his actions, the icy miser gradually transforms into a man who understands the true essence of Christmas. The dramatic reading is accompanied by festive English Christmas carols sung by the Philharmonic Choir - a atmospheric evening full of goosebumps and heartwarming moments!

Programme

Charles Dickens
"A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas" Scenic-musical adaptation of the tale by Charles Dickens, libretto by John von Düffel

Artists

Ulrich Noethen
Speaker
Devid Striesow
Speaker
Michael Rotschopf
Speaker
Petra Schmidt-Schaller
Speaker
Leonardo Mockridge
"Sounds"
Simone Henke
Scenic setting
Iris Geißler
Musical Direction
Wolfgang Hentrich
Musical Direction
Mitglieder der Dresdner Philharmonie
Ensemble
Philharmonischer Chor Dresden
Dresdner Philharmonie

Biographies

Ulrich Noethen

Ulrich Noethen is one of the leading German character actors in film and television. After initially appearing on many German theater stages, he had his breakthrough in the film business in 1997 with the role of singer Harry Frommermann in "Comedian Harmonists". Since then, he has appeared regularly in film and TV and has received numerous awards. He has also made a name for himself as a narrator and enjoys working in musical contexts.

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Devid Striesow

As a multi-award-winning actor, Devid Striesow is familiar to a wide audience from both film and television. His portrayals of Hape Kerkeling in "Ich bin dann mal weg", J. S. Bach in "Bach – Ein Weihnachtswunder" and Hermann Göring in "Babylon Berlin" are just a few examples from his extensive body of work. A passionate lover of classical music, he co-hosts the Deutschlandfunk Kultur podcast "Klassik drastisch" with his fellow actor Axel Ranisch, and he also appears in readings with musical accompaniment.

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Michael Rotschopf

Austrian actor Michael Rotschopf began his career while still a student, joining the ensemble of Vienna's Burgtheater. He has received numerous awards, including the Grimme Prize, and captivates audiences in theatre, film, and television with his masterful acting, sophistication, and impressive presence. He is also active as a narrator in musical projects, radio plays, and audiobooks. He has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall in New York.

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Petra Schmidt-Schaller

Petra Schmidt-Schaller studied acting in Leipzig, began her career on the theatre stages of Weimar and Osnabrück, and is now well known for her roles in numerous films, including "Der Wagner-Clan" and "Wendezeit", as Lona Mendt in the crime mini-series "Die Toten von Marnow", and as a former "Tatort" detective from Hamburg alongside Wotan Wilke-Möhring. In addition, the multi-award-winning actress works as a narrator – often in musical contexts – and narrates audiobooks.

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Leonardo Mockridge

The film and theatre composer Leonardo "Lenny" Mockridge has already been involved in films such as "König der Raben" (2021) and "Meine Freundin Volker" (2023) as well as theatre productions at the Volksbühne and Schaubühne Berlin and at the Cologne Theater am Bauturm, among others. In 2023, the Schauspiel Dortmund opened the season with "Das Kapital: Das Musical", for which he composed the music and songs. At the Kulturpalast, he is providing sound effects for the production of "A Christmas Carol".

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Simone Henke

Simone Henke is a producer and director. Among other things, she transforms literary works into staged or scenic musical readings with entire acting ensembles featuring top-class casts. Some of her programs have been running on German-speaking stages for many years, e. g., at the Friedrichstadtpalast Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Burgtheater in Vienna, and the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. In 2026, she will once again be bringing Charles Dickens’ famous "A Christmas Carol" to the Kulturpalast.

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Iris Geißler

Iris Geißler has been conducting the Dresden Philharmonic Choir since fall 2022 and is also stage manager of the Philharmonic Children's Choir. For several years, the trained pianist taught piano accompaniment and coaching at her alma mater, the University of Music "Carl Maria von Weber" in Dresden. In addition to her work with the Philharmonic Choirs, she gives piano lessons and is active as a singer in various ensembles and as a choir director for other choirs.

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Wolfgang Hentrich

1st Concertmaster

Wolfgang Hentrich has been concertmaster of the Dresdner Philharmonie since 1996 and appears regularly as a soloist and in various chamber music formations, both at the Kulturpalast and elsewhere. An honorary professor at the Dresdner Musikhochschule, he leads the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Dresden and directs Chorus 116, the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie and the Fördervereinsorchester der Dresdner Philharmonie.

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Philharmonischer Chor Dresden

The Dresden Philharmonic Choir has been active for over 55 years, since it was founded in 1967 on the initiative of Kurt Masur. The approximately 70 singers perform the demanding choral work in their free time. They give concerts with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the respective chief and guest conductors, collaborate with other choirs and orchestras and perform a cappella programs in and outside of Dresden. Iris Geißler has led the ensemble since October 2022.

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Dresdner Philharmonie

Top Class!

Top class! That is the claim of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra stands for concerts at the highest artistic level, musical education for all ages and looking beyond the musical horizon. Guest performances on almost every continent and collaborations with guests from all over the world have established the reputation of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra in the international classical music world.  

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