Opera in Concert

Elektra

Opera drama in the concert hall
© Petra Baratova

3/12

Thursday | 3/12/2026
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal
Prices
64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
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
8 € for last minute
Who receives discounts? Read here.

3/15

Sunday | 3/15/2026
6:00 pm Start of Concert
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal
Prices
64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
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
8 € for last minute
Who receives discounts? Read here.

About the Concert

With "Elektra," Richard Strauss created one of the most gripping and emotionally intense works in opera literature. The story, based on the ancient tragedy, revolves around Elektra's relentless desire for revenge for the murder of her father.

The drama unfolds in a single, feverishly tense scene - a milestone in music history. Strauss' score is a thunderstorm of sound, using massive orchestral forces and the finest emotional nuances to make the inner depths of the characters audible. He combines harsh dissonances with moments of painful beauty, leading the listeners into a gripping psychological study.

Under the direction of Sir Donald Runnicles, who is celebrated worldwide for his interpretations of Strauss, "Elektra" unfolds its full force in concert. Without a stage set, but with a fully occupied orchestra and a high-caliber cast of soloists, the focus is on the music and the drama.

Program

Richard Strauss
"Elektra" Tragedy in one act (freely based on Sophocles) Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Artists

Sir Donald Runnicles
Conductor
Karita Mattila
Mezzo-soprano (Klytämnestra)
Ausrine Stundyte
Soprano (Elektra)
Elisabeth Teige
Soprano (Chrysothemis)
Thomas Blondelle
Tenor (Aegisth)
Albert Pesendorfer
Baritone (Orest)
Nina Bezu
Soprano (4th Maid and Confidante)
Hailey Clark
Soprano (5. Maid and Carrier)
Kangyoon Shine Lee
Tenor (Young Servant)
Catherine Woodward
Soprano (Supervisor)
Anna Lapkovskaja
Mezzo-soprano (2nd Maid)
Sarah Castle
Mezzo-soprano (3rd Maid)
MDR-Rundfunkchor
Dresdner Philharmonie

Biographies

Sir Donald Runnicles

Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonie from 25/26

Introducing Sir Donald Runnicles! More pictures & videos of our new Chief Conductor can be found here.

Sir Donald Runnicles will become Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic at the start of the 2025/26 season; he already serves as Chief Conductor Designate in 2024/25. The Scottish-born conductor is also GMD of the Deutsche Oper Berlin until mid-2026. He stands for the principle of quality over quantity and has built up close artistic relationships with renowned institutions worldwide. His expertise in the opera and concert repertoire is in demand everywhere, and the German repertoire is particularly close to his heart.

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Karita Mattila

For over 40 years, the Finnish soprano Karita Mattila has been active on the stage and is celebrated for the lyrical beauty of her voice and her innate sense of drama. Her signature roles include Kostelnička (“Jenůfa”), Clytemnestra (“Elektra”) and Foreign Princess in (“Rusalka”). Numerous awards and honorary titles adorn her artistic path. She passes on her experience to the next generation in masterclasses.

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Ausrine Stundyte

Lithuanian soprano Aušrinė Stundytė is best known for her portrayal of extreme female roles, and she sees opera as the highest form of fusion of different forms of expression. In 2020, she made a triumphant debut at the Salzburg Festival in the role of Strauss's “Elektra”. But her repertoire also includes roles such as Dido in Purcell's “Dido and Aeneas” or Jeanne in Penderecki's “The Devils of Loudon”.

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Elisabeth Teige

Norwegian soprano Elisabeth Teige is known for her warm, beautiful timbre, intuitive musicality and compelling stage presence. She lends her youthful dramatic soprano to characters such as Wagner's Senta, Sieglinde or Elisabeth, Strauss' Chrysothemis or Beethoven's Leonore. She has been casted by the Bayreuth Festival since 2022, and has recently made her debut at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and the Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona

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Thomas Blondelle

The Belgian tenor Thomas Blondelle has a broad operatic repertoire that includes roles from Mozart to Wagner, as well as contemporary works. In summer 2024, he made his debut at the Bregenz Festival as Max in “Der Freischütz”. From 2009 to 2023, he was a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he sang roles including Tamino (“Die Zauberflöte”), Herod (“Salome”), Macduff (“Macbeth”), Eisenstein (“Die Fledermaus”), Pelleas (“Pelleas et Mélisande”) and the title role in “Parsifal”.

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Albert Pesendorfer

The Austrian-born Albert Pesendorfer sings the important bass roles in numerous German-language operas with great success, above all in works by Wagner and Strauss. However, his stylistic versatility also allows him to effortlessly tackle the Italian or Slavic repertoire. He tours throughout Germany and Europe, the United States and Japan as a freelance singer. Since 2015, he has been a professor of singing at the Berlin University of the Arts.

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Hailey Clark

Hailey Clark, a U.S. soprano acclaimed by Opera News for her "warm" and "effortless" lyric soprano and known for her dynamic interpretations, quickly made a name for herself in Europe and North America. She was awarded the Austrian Music Theater Prize in the category of "Best Female Lead" for her portrayal of Alma Beers in Brokeback Mountain (2016) in her European debut at the Salzburg Landestheater.

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Kangyoon Shine Lee

The lyric tenor Kangyoon Shine Lee comes from South Korea and has been a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble since 2024/25, where he had previously fulfilled several guest contracts. There he can be heard in roles such as Tamino in “The Magic Flute” or Conte Almaviva in “Il barbiere di Siviglia.” In 2024, the multiple competition winner completed his studies at the HfM Hanns Eisler in Berlin with the concert exam. In 2023, he performed with the Dresden Philharmonic for the first time, in Lera Auerbach's 6th symphony.

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Anna Lapkovskaja

Mezzo-soprano Anna Lapkovskaya comes from Minsk and grew up in Munich. Since her debut at the Berlin State Opera in 2019, she has performed at numerous leading opera houses and festivals, including the Bavarian State Opera, the Teatro alla Scala di Milano, the Teatro Real Madrid, the Teatro Colón, the Bayreuth Festival and the BBC Proms. In addition to her operatic activities, the singer devotes herself intensively to concert singing and has already performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

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MDR-Rundfunkchor

The MDR Rundfunkchor is the largest choir of the German public broadcasting service and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. Secular and sacred music, ensemble singing and choral symphonic works are equally part of its repertoire, which spans almost a millennium of music history. The ensemble is an excellent partner for Europe's well-known symphony orchestras, but with its clear, defined and full sound, it is also a leader in the interpretation of a cappella works.

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Dresdner Philharmonie

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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