The Story
Watch the trailer, read the synopsis or download the programme book
7 Jan 2018 - 11 Apr 2018
de Volkskrant
NRC
Theaterkrant
Clarín
La Nacion
La Prenza
The opera by Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896) comes up to every expectation of what a Hamlet performance has to offer. We see King Claudius’s degenerated court in all its pomp and circumstance, an intense inner struggle of the hero, a mysteriously accompanied appearance of his father, and there is exceptionally moving music for the insane Ophélie. The librettists, who earlier provided texts for Gounod’s Faust, brought the play back to its very core. The masterly music is a revelation to both opera and Shakespeare enthusiasts.
After its première in Paris in 1868 – exactly 150 years before 2018 – the opera Hamlet was one of the most performed for decades, as one of the vast parts of the repertoire. Until 1919, for example, the opera was staged 153 (!) times in the Koninklijke Schouwburg at The Hague, mainly an opera house in those days.
Close on 100 years later the Dutch companies OPERA2DAY and the New European Ensemble base their musical interpretation on the scores and parts of these performances, which they unearthed from the archives. The two partners recently worked together in a similar way in Dr. Miracle’s last illusion, a performance that was – as the press said – ‘spectacular’ (de Volkskrant) and ‘a hit’ (Theaterkrant).
Watch the trailer, read the synopsis or download the programme book
Trailer
Trailer Hamlet
Programme book
Download the programme book accompanying Hamlet (Dutch only).
Synopsis
Act 1 and 2
The Danish king Hamlet has passed away. His widow Gertude is remarrying her brother-in-law Claudius no more than two months later. The opera starts on the day of the coronation of Gertrude. Son of the late king, Hamlet junior, Prince Hamlet, son of the late King and Gertrude, is upset that his mother has remarried so soon and wants to leave the court. Hamlets love Ophélie is worried about his melancholy and his departure. Hamlet comforts her and tells her never to doubt his love for her. Laërte, Ophélie’s brother, interrupts them and says that he is being sent to Norway as an envoy. He entrusts Ophélie to the care of Hamlet. Courtiers, on their way to the banquet, enter. Hamlet refuses to join Laërte and Ophélie as they leave to join the banquet.
Horatio and Marcellus meet the sequestered Hamlet and they tell him that they have seen the ghost of Hamlet’s father the previous night. As the clock strikes midnight, the Ghost also appears to Hamlet. The Ghost tells him that Claudius murdered him with poison and asks his son to take vengeance on Claudius, but Gertrude must be spared. The Ghost withdraws and Hamlet swears to avenge his father.
A first confrontation follows quickly. King Claudius and Gertrude enter. Hamlet, full of aversion to the royal couple, feigns madness, while he develops his plan of approach. That same night he will engage a troupe of actors to perform a play for his uncle and mother.
Ophélie is concerned at Hamlet’s new indifference towards her. Hamlet, working on his theatre performance, gives her no attention. It all becomes to much for Ophélie. She confides in Gertrude that she would like to leave the court, but the queen begs her to stay. The players come in and Hamlet asks them to mime the play The Murder of Gonzago.
While singing a drinking song with the players, the courts arrives for the pantomime. It tells a story similar to how Hamlet’s imagines the murder of his father. The audience sees how the poison is administered and how the assassin places the crown on his head. Claudius, looking at this turns pale, commands the play to stop and the actors to leave. Hamlet believes that this proves that Claudius is guilty and attacks him. The upset assembly sees how a revenge murder is scarcely avoided.
– Intermission –
Act 3, 4 and 5
Hamlet wonders why he didn’t kill the king when he had the opportunity. Thinking about his father returning as a Ghost he reflects on the mystery of life and death in the aria ‘Être ou ne pas être’, based on the most famous monologue of all. A next opportunity to kill Claudius arises. The king appears and kneels in prayer. Claudius asks his brother to advocate him to the eternal judge. Hamlet, deciding Claudius’ soul may be saved if he is killed while praying, delays again his revenge. When Claudius experiences a presence, Hamlet understands from his exclamation that Polonius, father of Ophélie is complicit in the murder. Gertrude and Ophélie enter. The queen tries to persuade Hamlet to marry Ophélie. But Hamlet refuses and tells Ophélie to resort to a monastery. When alone with his mother, Hamlet tries to force her to confront her guilt, but she resists. As Hamlet threatens her, he sees the Ghost, who reminds him he must spare his mother.
After Hamlet’s rejection, Ophélie has gone mad with grief. She commits suicide.
Hamlet, moving away from the court to avoid the revenge of the king, comes upon two gravediggers digging a new grave. He asks who has died, but they do not know. On this contemplative place, he realizes the grief that he put Ophélie through by leaving her. He doesn’t know yet about her death. Laërte has learned of his sister’s death and Hamlet’s role in it. He challenges Hamlet to a duel, that is interrupted by Ophélie’s funeral procession. Hamlet finally realizes the new-dug grave is meant for her. In despair he kills Claudius, and confronts the choice about his own life: Être… ou ne pas être’…
The two librettists Michel Carré and Jules Barbier were quite faithful to Shakespeare’s play. However, as always with opera libretti based on plays, they abbreviated the text and sometimes opted for a different structure. They also left out several characters, such as Fortinbras, and Rosenkranz and Guildenstern. Polonius has a less important part. Moreover, he is not murdered in the opera. The opera’s original length of 3.5 hours was narrowed by OPERA2DAY to its essence. For example the ballet, which takes half an hour, was deleted.The final act of Thomas’ s opera departs the most from Shakespeare’s play. Laërte and Gertrude do not die. Moreover, Thomas composed two versions of the end. In the Parisian one Hamlet lives on and is crowned king. In the London version he takes his own life. OPERA2DAY combines the most important parts from these finales, keeping the best of both versions, both in content and in music.
Cast & Crew
Direction Serge van Veggel
Musical direction Hernán Schvartzman
Project development Alice Gubler
Artistic direction New European Ensemble Emlyn Stam
Development version OPERA2DAY Serge van Veggel, Hernán Schvartzman
Composition and arrangements Daniël Hamburger
Filmmaker Margo Onnes
Directed by comedienne Femke Luyckx
Scenography Herbert Janse
Light Uri Rapaport
Sound design and soundscape Arne Bock
Technical production Ronald Tebra
Costumes Mirjam Pater
Hair and make-up Nienke Algra, Marissa Coster
Research historical recordings Emlyn Stam & Hernán Schvartzman
Hamlet Quirijn de Lang
Ophélie Lucie Chartin
Claudius Martijn Sanders
Gertrude Martina Prins
Laerte / Comedian Queen Jan-Willem Schaafsma
Horatio / 1st Fossoyeur Patrick Pranger
Ghost of the father / Comedian old king Joop Keesmaat, Hans Peter Ligthart (8 & 17 March)
Polonius / Spectre (vocals) / Comedian new king Yavuz Arman Isleker
Marcellus / 2nd Fossoyeur Georgi Sztojanov
Courtesans Judith Pranger, Sonja Volten, Adélaïde Rouyer
Voice-over Hamlet Jonathan Rouah
Understudies Horatio Gulian van Nierop, Arnout Lems
First violin Rada Ovcharova
Second violin Joanna Wronko / Anoek Brokaar
Viola Emlyn Stam
Cello Willem Stam / Sebastiaan van Halsema
Double bass James Oesi
Oboe Roger Cramers / Arthur Klaassens
Flute Felicia van den End / Mirjam Teepe
Clarinet James Meldrum / Jasper Grijpink
Bassoon Amber Mallee / Gretha Tuls
Trumpet Ryan Linham / Sven Berkelmans / Marc Kaptijn
First horn Martijn Appelo / Hanna Guirten
Second horn Edward Peeters
Trombone Jaume Gavillan / Alejandre Luque Belmonte
Harp Astrid Haring
Percussion Natalia Alvarez-Arenas Arias
Read a summary of press reviews and audience's reactions
Review summary
Our new production of Hamlet, Ambroise Thomas’ opera, has been enthusiastically received. After the first performances in a sold-out Koninklijke Schouwburg, the audience responded with prolonged ovations. The press is equally enthusiastic. “Hamlet by OPERA2DAY grabs you by the throat,” headlines NRC in its four-star review. Trouw, also awarding four stars, states: “A brand-new Hamlet that demonstrates insight into psychological drama.” Theaterkrant, giving even five stars, praises: “An abundance of carefully thought-out details in this beautifully performed, sung, and acted opera that you must not miss.”
Den Haag Centraal recommends Hamlet as “a must for anyone with even the slightest interest in opera.” The production is also attracting international attention. Journalists travelled from England, France, and Germany for the premiere. The German online magazine O-Ton has already published its review: “The company can look back on a successful production on all fronts, which was received with great enthusiasm by the audience.” The reviewer from Opera Nowdescribes Hamlet as “a remarkable reinvention of the piece.”
Hamlet is OPERA2DAY’s first production where film and opera merge—and it leaves an impression. “The entire drama is ingeniously supported by film projections from filmmaker Margo Onnes” (Den Haag Centraal). Trouw adds: “OPERA2DAY makes functional use of video projections, displayed on two screens—one in front of the action and one behind it. The rear screen, cleverly tilted, adds depth and dynamism to the stage image.” De Volkskrant praises: “The visual rhyme at the beginning and end is striking. When Hamlet witnesses his father and Ophélie entwined in a death dance, he musters all his courage for a surprising final act.” Opera Magazine states: “Thanks to the film projections by filmmaker Margo Onnes, the perfect atmosphere is created for this dark drama, sometimes even adding an extra layer.” OPERA2DAY has removed the ballet and other redundant scenes from Thomas’ grand opéra, to keep the drama as powerful as possible. According to Opera Now, the result is “lithe, focused, and highly dramatic.”
Critics highlight the musical excellence of Hamlet. Den Haag Centraal writes: “Singers and instrumentalists made it a joy.” De Volkskrant adds: “Baritone Quirijn de Lang perfectly captures the wavering Hamlet. Mother Gertrude and murderer Claudius are given fine voices by Martina Prins and Martijn Sanders. Joop Keesmaat, a seasoned actor, impresses even in silence as the ghost of Hamlet’s father.”
Quirijn de Lang receives widespread acclaim for his portrayal of the title role. Opera Magazine calls him “a dream Hamlet, not only vocally but in every aspect. At times convincingly manic, at times deeply withdrawn, at times furious.” Opera Now echoes the praise: “Quirijn de Lang was such an expressive and intensely dramatic performer.” The rest of the cast also receives high praise. NRC writes: “Martina Prins (Queen Gertrude) seamlessly blended her powerful soprano into the ensemble and portrayed her character compellingly. Equally impressive was Lucie Chartin (Ophélie), who delivered a spine-chilling madness scene with hysterical coloratura, piercing eyes, and a butcher’s knife.” De Volkskrantraves: “Lucie Chartin is a soprano who shatters all prejudices about 19th-century bel canto. No Bianca Castafiori, no warbling. High notes, trills, or runs—everything flows perfectly from the madness that drives Ophélie towards suicide … a brilliantly spun-out mad scene that knocks you out.” Opera Now concludes: “The remaining singers were all admirably vivid … forming a strong backdrop for the protagonists.”
The acting performances and direction are also praised. Trouw notes: “It is a revelation that the singers do not trudge through hours of opera with artificial acting, but instead passionately bring their fate to life … moving naturally in sync with the rhythm of the music.”
The New European Ensemble and conductor Hernán Schvartzman studied historical recordings from the early 1900s to perform Hamlet with historical inspiration. The results are well received. NRC describes: “With expressive glissando lines and elastic phrasing, the ensemble creates a richly coloured soundscape for the singers, glowing or dark as required.” De Theaterkrant praises the chamber arrangement by Daniël Hamburger: “The music, originally intended for a large orchestra, has been arranged for the much smaller New European Ensemble. The result is shamelessly beautiful and expressive, yet subtle … The choir has been removed, with its parts taken over by the ensemble—an excellent choice that keeps the focus on the main characters.” Trouw adds: “The New European Ensemble and conductor Hernán Schvartzman do everything to make the score sing from beginning to end.” Opera Now concludes: “We were always going to lose something by playing Thomas’ score with a 15-piece band with just five string players, but under Hernán Schvartzman’s direction, the remarkable thing was how much was preserved, and how the players made this new lithe version of the score work so well.”
Article
Shakespeare’s plays continue to captivate the imagination more than 400 years later, as if they were written yesterday. No author has ever crafted such compelling drama from deeply human motives like love, idealism, jealousy, and revenge. Thomas and his librettists distilled the story to its essence, transforming Hamlet into a breathtaking opera.
Ambroise Thomas’ music keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first to the last minute. He turned Hamlet into one of the most beautiful baritone roles in the operatic repertoire. The soprano portraying Ophélie shines in one of the most dramatic madness scenes ever written, with music of rare emotional depth.
In our production of Hamlet, opera and film blend seamlessly. The staging is inspired by the rich tradition of film noir, allowing us to delve deep into Hamlet’s psyche. His memories, dreams, and visions come to life before the audience.
For Hamlet, we bring a cast of top-tier vocal talents to the stage—singers who have embarked on promising national and international careers. In the orchestra pit, the “outstanding musicians” (as praised by NRC) of the New European Ensemble will perform.
OPERA2DAY once again presents a French-language opera. NRC critic Kasper Jansen hailed Médée as “a spine-chilling production that leaves the audience shaken.” La Troupe d’Orphée was named Opera of the Year.
Watch the teaser and stage photos
Teaser
Teaser Hamlet
Stage photos
Coach baroque acting
Jed Wentz has worked as a flutist, conductor and teacher within the discipline of Early Music since 1986. With his ensemble Musica ad Rhenum he recorded more than 30 CDs and toured three continents. He is assistant professor at the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts at Leiden University and teaches rhetoric at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. His current research revolves around the relationship between music and acting, 1680-1930. He has published articles in Cambridge Opera Journal, Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute and European Drama and Performance Studies. He recently contributed an essay to Early Music in the 21st Century, published by Oxford University Press. He regularly performs as actor and reciter with the early music ensemble Postscript, and has created a number of scores to accompany silent film. He is also artistic advisor to the Utrecht Early Music Festival in The Netherlands.
Countertenor
Oscar Verhaar began his career as a boy soprano and earned his master’s degree in Early Music at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, where he studied with Michael Chance, Jill Feldman, Lenie van den Heuvel, and Peter Kooij. He also studied musicology in Utrecht and Vienna, and participated in masterclasses with teachers such as Ian Bostridge, Carlos Mena, and Kees Boeke. He was selected for the Academy of Jordi Savall’s Fundacío CIMA, was a laureate of the Fondation Royaumont, and a Young Bach Fellow of the Netherlands Bach Society.
Oscar specialises in medieval and baroque music, but he also regularly performs contemporary music, such as the world premiere of the opera Humanoid, composed by Leonard Evers. In working with early music, Oscar delves into old manuscripts and books for background and inspiration. This research opens up new avenues for unfamiliar repertoire that can also provide new insights into familiar pieces.
In 2024, Oscar and orchestra La Sfera Armoniosa recorded a CD for label Challenge Classics featuring arias about freedom by G.F. Handel. In 2025-2026, Oscar will be heard in the opera Queen Mary, based on music by Henry Purcell.
Countertenor
British countertenor James Hall is recognised for the combination of technical security, interpretive depth, and dramatic authority he brings to repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary opera. He appears widely in opera, concert, and new music contexts across the UK and Europe.
James has originated roles in new works by David Bruce (Nothing, Glyndebourne), Laurence Osborn (The Mother), and Rolf Hind (Sky in a Small Cage), and created the role of Strumpet Ginger in Masque of Might, Opera North’s devised Purcell eco-opera. His operatic work has taken him to major houses and festivals including Glyndebourne, Bayerische Staatsoper, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Venice Biennale, and Broadway, where he appeared as Farinelli in Claire Van Kampen’s Farinelli and the King alongside Mark Rylance.
On the concert platform, Hall has collaborated with ensembles including The Monteverdi Choir, Collegium Vocale Gent, The English Concert, Concerto Copenhagen, the Dunedin Consort, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Early Opera Company, and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Barbican, the Palace of Versailles, and the Wiener Konzerthaus.
His debut recording Elegy, made with fellow countertenor Iestyn Davies, was nominated for a Gramophone Award. He has recorded for Hyperion, Phi, and Vivat.
Operatic performances in 2025-2026 include Joachim in Handel’s Susanna for Opera North, Ivan Vane in the world premiere of Elena Langer’s To Die For: A Comedy with Nederlandse Reisopera, Hercules in Handel’s The Choice of Hercules for the London Handel Festival, and Cake and Berghahn in Jonathan Dove’s Itchalongside the Cheshire Cat in Will Todd’s Alice in Wonderland for Opera Holland Park.
Circusartist
Saana Tolonen is a circus artist from northern Finland, currently based in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Working primarily with aerial hoop, she explores the edges of aerials, acrobatics, and contemporary circus, constantly seeking new physical and expressive possibilities. Her work is influenced by movement and theatre, and she finds inspiration in collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Circus School at Turku University of Applied Sciences (2017) and is a graduate of Codarts University of the Arts (2020). Saana has worked with different directors and creators, including Daniel Gulko, Francesco Sgró, Lennie Visser, Cécile Da Costa, Lotte Mueller and Julía Campistany.
In addition to performing, Saana develops her own circus projects, such as a video-circus performance created for the OIJOIJOI! Festival in Tampere, Finland. She is also part of the Sisko collective, a collaboration between three sisters working across artistic disciplines.
Circus artist
Alejandro García Bustos is a circus artist born in Mexico City, Mexico, in 1999.
In 2018 he crossed the ocean to start his studies at the preparatory circus school Carampa in Madrid and later in 2020 at Codarts Circus Arts in Rotterdam. Shortly after his graduation in 2024 he joined the Belgian company Circumstances for their show Exit which he toured for two seasons.
Alejandro considers himself an all-round acrobat with a special love for teeterboard and trampoline, and he is overall just a “funny lad”.
Soprano
Lilian Tong is a soprano from Hong Kong, currently based in Rotterdam. She obtained her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from Codarts Rotterdam Conservatory in 2018. Since completing her studies, she has established herself as an active performer across Europe, particularly in The Netherlands.
Her operatic highlights include Musetta in La Bohème at the Shaw Theatre in London, Serpina in Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona with Hollands Diep Zomer Opera, and Despina in Così fan tutte with Codarts Opera Lab. She has also appeared in the world premiere of Seconds of Fear at the Dutch National Opera and performed at Operadagen Rotterdam.
Beyond opera, Lilian is an active and versatile concert soloist. She has appeared as soprano soloist in major works such as Messiah, Johannes-Passion, Matthäus-Passion, Weihnachtsoratorium, The Armed Man, and Rutter’s Requiem. She made her Concertgebouw debut in 2023 and was a finalist in the Corsica Lirica International Competition. In the same year she won First Prize at the Aphrodite Voice Competition.
Soprano
Ruoran Ma is a Chinese soprano currently pursuing her Master’s in Classical Voice at Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, studying with Professor Marcel Reijans. An acclaimed young artist, Ruoran has been awarded fourth prize and supraleitung method prize at the 3rd Basel International Vocal Competition. She has also been a semi-finalist at the Renata Tebaldi International Vocal Competition (2025).
Her recent engagements include solo performances in Mozart’s Requiem under Richard Egarr in Rotterdam, the role of Flaminia in Haydn’s Il mondo della luna at Codarts Conservatory, and participation in the Dutch National Opera’s Baroque Young Voice project, performing in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. She was selected for the Young Artist Project of the Openfest Prague and will perform in July 2026.
Ruoran has performed at notable venues such as the Beijing Concert Hall, Tokyo Opera City, and the China National Centre for the Performing Arts, and continues to build an international career in both concert and operatic repertoire.
Artistic Research
Belgian Femke Luyckx works as a dancer, aerial acrobat, choreographer, stunt coach, and assistant director. She has her own dance company, Compagnie KAIROS.
As a stunt coach, Femke has worked on projects including Stranger Things, Eurovision, 14, and Jesus Christ Superstar. She has collaborated with directors such as David Alden, Pierre Audi, Lotte de Beer, Simon McBurney, Robert Carsen, Romeo Castellucci, and Ivo van Hove, and choreographers such as Amir Hosseinpour, Jonathan Lunn, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and Philip Giraudeaux. She has assisted at Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Opera Ballet Flanders, and the Netherlands Chamber Choir, among others.
Femke studied Classical Ballet at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp and Contemporary Dance at Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in Tilburg and obtained her master’s degree in Choreography at Codarts and Fontys in 2023.
Femke has been working on OPERA2DAY productions since 2015, including La Révolution de Carmen, J.S. Bach – The Apocalypse, Song of the Dark Forest and Don Quichot.
Director
Aedín is a director, acrobat, musician, dancer and actor. Born in 1982 in Ireland, she has lived in a diverse range of countries and continents, becoming polyglot by accident in an effort to understand and hear the voices of others. Aedín is a staunch believer in the necessity of art and artists as catharsis and reflection of the world. Whether working for Clowns Without Borders in war-torn locations, or with large circus/dance companies, Aedín does not believe in the irrelevance or frivolity of creation, and she embraces the deliverance present in diverse forms of humour and absurdity.
Performing throughout childhood in musicals and ballets in her then local city of Harare, Zimbabwe, she returned to Ireland at the age of 10.
Between 2000-2015 her studies comprised Architecture (ECA, Edinburgh), Contemporary Dance Performance (The Space, SSCD, Scotland), Dance Theatre (Trinity-Laban) culminating in an MA in New Performative Practices specialising in Circus (SKH Sweden). From 2005 her professional life as a performer began, and from 2007 she worked as a choreographer.
Based in France with her young family since 2022, her professional work becomes more and more an interweaving and reimagining of the world, as a Mother, rendering the invisible visible, necessary, inspiring, and returning to the poetry writing of her youth.
Integral to her work onstage and off is the inclusion of consent-based practices and communication.
Circusartist
Mira Leonard graduated from Stockholm University of the Arts in 2014 and has since then worked for different circus companies, big and small, in theatres, circus tents, street corners, living rooms and parks in America, China and across Europe.
Mira was part of the Nordic artist collective ENT making various site-specific performances intertwining circus and folk music in forests and trees. Before that she was in a duo for 20 years with Esmeralda Nikolajeff focusing on the disciplines of duotrapeze and icarian games.
Lately Mira has been enjoying high heights in harnesses, practicing hair suspension and walking on crushed glass. This is the first time Mira has worked with opera.
Circusartist
Luise Hoffmann is a multiskilled circus artist from Germany. She graduated from Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam, where she collaborated with various directors and developed her own artistic voice. Through contemporary circus, her work explores expectations, perception and personal boundaries.
Since graduating, Luise has focused on both solo creations and group acrobatics. Her solo piece, WHAT I THINK, THEY THINK, has been performed internationally and was nominated for the BNG Circus Prize. Alongside her solo work, Luise has collaborated with institutions and collectives such as Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Klaus! Kollektiv (Berlin) and INO Kollektiv.
Circusartist
Jean-Charles Gaume is a tight-wire dancer, hand to hand base, circus author, and circus co-director of his own company, INHERENCE. He graduated from ENACR and CNAC in France in 2008. His artistic approach is multidisciplinary and multiskilled, and he has consistently blended circus, dance, and theatre throughout his career.
Jean-Charles has created a wide range of circus works, including Le Parcours du Combattant (2010), J’aurais Voulu with Sandrine Juglair (2014), Here & Now (2017), and Radius et Cubitus, les Amants de Pompéi (2021, Beaumarchais Laureate). In 2026, he will premiere a new solo piece entitled FRAME, I’m Gonna Live Forever.
His multidisciplinary approach has led him to collaborate with numerous theatre directors, circus directors, and choreographers as both a performer and an author. He performed in La disparition du slow with the Yvan Mosjoukine Collective, Diktat by Sandrine Juglair, Le Corps au-delà des Frontières by Salia Sanou, L’Oublié(e) by Raphaëlle Boitel, VerSant by Underclouds, and projects of le Théâtre du Mouvement (Mime). In 2024, he directed In Sity, Partir, rester un peu for Compagnie CirkVOST in collaboration with Karine Noël.
Jean-Charles has also collaborated across other artistic fields, including cinema (The Sound of Time by Wim Wenders and Chocolat by Roschdy Zem), jazz music (videoclip Today of Anne Pacéo), contemporary music (Françoise Toullec), and comedy (Virginie Hocq).
In 2013, Jean-Charles graduated in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy from the KARUNA Institute in the UK.
Circusartist
Joe Baker is a talented circus artist with a passion for pushing the boundaries of performance. After studying at Codarts, he honed his skills in aerials and acrobatics.
Joe’s experience includes performing with renowned dance company Scapino Ballet where he explored the fusion of acrobatics and choreography in live performances. With a flair for captivating audiences, Joe brings creativity, and precision to every performance, constantly seeking new ways to challenge himself and elevate the circus field. Music plays a vital role in his performances, where rhythm and sound are as important as movement. Joe composes his own music for his personal works, creating an all-encompassing and unique experience.
Soprano
French coloratura soprano Maud Bessard-Morandas, initially trained as a dancer and actress, performs a wide-ranging repertoire, spanning Renaissance music to contemporary creation, including opera, operetta, oratorio, and art song. She is a prizewinner at numerous international competitions (Gordes, L. Bellan, Arles, G. Enesco, Lugano, Cesti, Froville, Clermont) as well as the Royaumont, Leenaards, and Sigg Foundations. She appears regularly as a soloist at major European festivals (Saint-Denis, Royaumont, Ambronay, Saintes, and La Côte-Saint-André) and opera houses (Wrocław in Poland, Brașov in Romania, Geneva, Versailles, Dijon, and Clermont-Ferrand).
Maud frequently collaborates with leading early music ensembles such as Cappella Mediterranea, Amarillis, Pulcinella, Procris, O Tempora, and Les Argonautes.
In the 2025–2026 season, she will premiere a production for young audiences at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, perform Acis and Galatea at the Ambronay Festival, tour the Netherlands in The Opera Circus with OPERA2DAY and the Netherlands Bach Society, and record a solo album with Ensemble O Tempora.
Maud holds three Master’s degrees from the CNSMD de Lyon and the Haute École de Musique de Genève(voice, pedagogy, and conducting), as well as a Bachelor’s degree in musicology.
Countertenor
British countertenor James Hall is recognised for the combination of technical security, interpretive depth, and dramatic authority he brings to repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary opera. He appears widely in opera, concert, and new music contexts across the UK and Europe.
James has originated roles in new works by David Bruce (Nothing, Glyndebourne), Laurence Osborn (The Mother), and Rolf Hind (Sky in a Small Cage), and created the role of Strumpet Ginger in Masque of Might, Opera North’s devised Purcell eco-opera. His operatic work has taken him to major houses and festivals including Glyndebourne, Bayerische Staatsoper, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Venice Biennale, and Broadway, where he appeared as Farinelli in Claire Van Kampen’s Farinelli and the King alongside Mark Rylance.
On the concert platform, Hall has collaborated with ensembles including The Monteverdi Choir, Collegium Vocale Gent, The English Concert, Concerto Copenhagen, the Dunedin Consort, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Early Opera Company, and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Barbican, the Palace of Versailles, and the Wiener Konzerthaus.
His debut recording Elegy, made with fellow countertenor Iestyn Davies, was nominated for a Gramophone Award. He has recorded for Hyperion, Phi, and Vivat.
Operatic performances in 2025-2026 include Joachim in Handel’s Susanna for Opera North, Ivan Vane in the world premiere of Elena Langer’s To Die For: A Comedy with Nederlandse Reisopera, Hercules in Handel’s The Choice of Hercules for the London Handel Festival, and Cake and Berghahn in Jonathan Dove’s Itchalongside the Cheshire Cat in Will Todd’s Alice in Wonderland for Opera Holland Park.
Soprano
Maria Schellenberg is a Russian mezzo-soprano celebrated for her dark vocal colour, dramatic authority, and psychologically intense performances. She has appeared at the Royal Opera House, Opera de Tenerife, Dorset Opera Festival and the Linbury Theatre, and with orchestras including the Danish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Noted for her exceptional reliability under pressure, she received critical acclaim for a last-minute appearance as Megacle in Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre in 2024. Her repertoire includes Dalila, Ulrica, Maddalena, Zia Principessa, Margared (Le Rois d’Ys) and Isabella (L’italiana in Algeri).
Maria studied piano and harpsichord in addition to vocal performance. She is a graduate from the Royal College of Music and an alumna of the Samling Academy and Opera Tenerife Young Artists Programme.
International Partnerships
Hai & Make-up design
Hair and Make-up Designer Nienke Algra completed her training in TV, film, and theater make-up in London in 1986. She began her career at Atelier Didden and was associated for fifteen years with the Paardenkathedraal, working on productions with Dirk Tanghe, as well as freelancing for theater companies including Orkater and Jakop Ahlbom.
For OPERA2DAY, she has previously been responsible for hair and make-up on Mariken in de Tuin der Lusten, Dr. Miracle’s Last Illusion, Hamlet, Opera Melancholica, Vivaldi – Dangerous Liaisons, and Don Quichot.
Costume design
Costume Designer Mirjam Pater is fascinated by clothing. She studied at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy, founded her own costume studio, and has worked as an independent designer since 1990. From 1992 to 2008, she was the resident designer for Dirk Tanghe. She has also created designs for many leading theater companies, including Het Nationale Toneel, Het Internationaal Danstheater, and Orkater.
For Stage Entertainment, she designed costumes for Cabaret, a large-scale musical at Carré. Her opera designs include Orfeo for Holland Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor and Don Pasquale for De Nederlandse Reisopera, Norma at the Grote Markt in Groningen, Rheingold on a Rhine barge, and Ipermestra, an anniversary production for Festival Oude Muziek. Since its founding, she has designed almost all productions for OPERA2DAY.
Sound design
Sound Engineer Arne Bock is a renowned audio professional specializing in live sound, recording, mixing, and mastering. With a strong foundation in jazz as well as classical and contemporary music, Arne has become one of the most sought-after audio engineers. His expertise spans a wide range of formats and genres, from orchestral and opera productions to immersive audio installations and large-scale tours.
Arne’s impressive career includes close collaborations with acclaimed composers, conductors, ensembles, and artist management, such as Steve Reich, Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli), CAMI Music, and Columbia Artists Management. His recording and production work has been released on prestigious labels including BIS Records, SteepleChase, and Sony Music, earning awards such as the Swedish Grammis and the French Diapason d’Or. As a sound designer and technical director, Arne has brought his expertise to performances in major concert halls and stadiums worldwide.
He frequently contributes his experience to opera productions. Recent projects include work for OPERA2DAY and the highly praised sound design for Monteverdi’s Maria Vespers, performed by the Pygmalion Ensemble under Raphael Pichon and directed by Pierre Audi in the iconic Gasholders in Amsterdam. He was also the lead sound engineer for the groundbreaking production Aus Licht in Amsterdam (2019), mixing monumental works by Karlheinz Stockhausen.
As an educator, Arne has taught and led masterclasses at institutions such as the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and the University of Lethbridge. He regularly mentors interns and young professionals through various technical training programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in jazz trumpet and both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sound engineering, all from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.
Lighting design
Lighting Designer Uri Rapaport has been professionally active in theater since 1977. He has created numerous designs both in the Netherlands and abroad for a wide variety of companies, producers, and museums, including Het Nationale Toneel, Toneelgroep Maastricht, De Nederlandse Reisopera, Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera, Opera Genève, Opera Budapest, Ruhrtriennale, Wiener Festwochen, De Doelen, Gergiev Festival, Holland Festival, and Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, as well as for Joop van den Ende, De Parade, Oerol, and Het Nut.
Between 1996 and 2008, he was a member of the artistic team at the Paardenkathedraal and designed all productions for Dirk Tanghe. Recent theater designs include Pauperparadijs, Trojan Wars, Willem II, Erik of het klein insektenboek, De Verleiders, and several major musicals such as Nummer 14, Dagboek van een Herdershond, Zondag in het zuiden, and Het geluk van Limburg. He also performed in his own production, LICHT. Since 2012, he has been responsible for the lighting design of a wide range of OPERA2DAY productions.
Scenography
Set Designer Herbert Janse studied scenography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht.
Since 1985, Herbert Janse has designed sets for productions including De Avonden (Het Vervolg), Houdini (Orkater), De methode Ribadier (Het Nationale Toneel), Cloaca (Het Toneel Speelt), Rigoletto (Hong Kong Opera Company), Hamlet, Hedda Gabler (De Theatercompagnie), Il barbiere di Siviglia, Le nozze di Figaro, La fille du régiment (Opera Zuid), Ex, Carnage (Suburbia), Schrijf me in het zand, Hamlet (Studio Antigone), and Song of the Dark Forest (a co-production by OPERA2DAY and Scapino Rotterdam).
Since 2006, he has also been teaching at the Amsterdam Theatre School and served as curator for the Dutch entries at the Prague Quadrennial in 2007 and 2011. Since 2012, he has been responsible for the scenography of most OPERA2DAY productions.
Dramaturgy
Dramaturg Tiara Kobald was originally trained as a violinist at the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg. She studied violin with Chris Duindam, baroque violin with Franc Polman, and orchestral conducting with Arjan Tien and Etienne Siebens. She works as a freelance violinist with various orchestras and ensembles, including the Ars Musica Orchestra.
After completing her musical training, she studied English and Theatre, Film and Literary Studies at the University of Antwerp. She completed two directing internships at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam and an internship in dramaturgy at Opera Vlaanderen in Antwerp.
For the past year, Tiara Kobald has been a resident dramaturg with OPERA2DAY
Communication & Content Officer
Chef de Bureau
Coordination Participation & Education
Project management & Casting
Head of Marketing
Business director
Musical director
Argentinean-Dutch conductor Hernán Schvartzman is an award-winning and versatile artist who feels as equally at home conducting top historically informed ensembles, cutting edge contemporary music groups as well as leading international big scale opera productions and symphonic concerts.
He has conducted ensembles such as the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Vox Luminis, Asko|Schönberg, Netherlands Bach Society, Het Gelders Orkest, Orquesta del Teatro Argentino de La Plata, Orchestra of the Early Music department of the Royal Conservatoire, New European Ensemble, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Dutch Radio Choir, Cappella Amsterdam, and B’Rock Orchestra.
Hernán is the musical leader of Netherlands-based opera company OPERA2DAY and works as guest conductor for other companies such as Juventus Lyrica, Muziektheater Transparant, Nederlandse Reisopera, Operadagen Rotterdam, Teatro Argentino de La Plata, Dutch National Opera Studio and the Monteverdi Festival de Cremona. A selection of his operatic repertoire includes: Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy, Die Zauberflöte(Argentinean Opera of the Year 2013), Cherubini’s Médee, Charpentier’s La Troupe d’Orphée (Dutch Opera of the Year 2014), the world premiere of Calliope Tsoupaki ’s Mariken in the garden of delights, J.S. Bach – The Apocalypse (Bach-Iliopoulos) (2024), Don Quichot (Vanni Moretto, 2023), Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Rossini’s Le Comte Ory and Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet (nominated for the VSCD ovation price 2018).
He graduated Cum Laude from the Masters in Orchestral Conducting and Early Music opera conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. His teachers were Jac van Steen, Kenneth Montgomery, Jos van Veldhoven, Ton Koopman and Reinbert de Leeuw. Hernán was part of the selection committee for the “Composers Showcase” organised by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) where he recorded the award-winning chamber music pieces with the wind soloists of the BBC NOW. Hernán teaches Ensemble Leading at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and held the position of main classical music advisor of the Argentinean Ministry of Culture for the opening of the Centro Cultural Kirchner, where he also gave masterclasses to Argentinean conductors, along with the Argentinean National Youth Orchestra.
Hernán Schvartzman was recipient of the prestigious Huygens Scholarship, awarded by the Dutch Government, and has also been selected as a “Musical Top Talent”, “Creative Top Talent” and “Cultural Ambassador of the City” by the municipality of The Hague.
He was nominated as Best Argentinean Conductor of the Year 2014 by the Argentinean Association of Musical Reviewers.
General Director / Artistic Director
Serge van Veggel is one of the founders of OPERA2DAY. Over the years, he has developed a highly diverse range of productions there as artistic director, writer, and director. Often, he opts for a conceptual approach, creating new works from existing repertoire. This was the case, for example, with La troupe d’Orphée, featuring Charpentier’s repertoire, Dolhuys Kermis with baroque lamenti, Dr. Miracle’s last illusion with romantic repertoire, and the ‘new baroque opera’ Vivaldi – Dangerous Liaisons. Additionally, he directed productions from the repertoire such as The Fairy Queen (Purcell), La Giuditta (Alessandro Scarlatti), Médée (Cherubini), Hamlet (Thomas), Carmina Burana (Orff), and The Fall of the House of Usher by Philip Glass (as part of the Opera Melancholica production). He crafted the libretto and directed the new opera Mariken in de tuin der lusten, with music by Calliope Tsoupaki. Filmmaker Sonia Herman Dolz documented the creative process in the film Mariken, visioen van een opera. Furthermore, he has created music-theatre productions and staged recitals both within and outside OPERA2DAY. In 2023, he collaborated with three choreographers to develop Song of the Dark Forest for Scapino Ballet Rotterdam.
Anne Marie Stordiau has a background spanning government, diplomacy and the cultural sector. She served as Director of Communications and spokesperson to the Minister of Justice and Security, after which she worked as a diplomat at the Dutch Embassy in London. She initially studied viola at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, followed by studies in Law and Public Administration at the Rijksuniversiteit Leiden. She has extensive experience in governance, including roles with orchestras, theatre companies, museums and the Fund for Cultural Participation. With a strategic background and a broad network, she is committed to fostering strong connections between culture and society. Anne Marie has a particular interest in opera as an art form that uniquely brings together music, theatre, visual arts and contemporary social and political themes.
Fatma Kaya (1969) is a connector pur sang and socially involved to the bone. She works as a relationship manager for the JOGG foundation, which stands for healthy youth and a healthy future, and works with municipalities throughout the Netherlands to achieve this. Fatma has always worked in the non-profit sector for trade unions, governments and educational institutions, among others. She was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Koninklijke Schouwburg for six years, was chairman of the Women at Work Foundation in The Hague and is a member of Rotary Club ‘s Gravenhage Kijkduin.
Guus Mostart initially studied medicine. With a scholarship from the then Ministry of C.R.M., he took a stage management course at the London Opera Centre after which he joined the Netherlands Opera Foundation under Hans de Roo. In 1977, he left for the Glyndebourne Festival where he rose from Staff Producer to Associate Director and Director of Production for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera. In the more than 40 years Guus has worked in the opera world, he has held various positions including Director of Artistic Affairs Dutch Opera, Artistic Director Vancouver Opera, Director of Artistic Administration & Dramaturgy English National Opera and Intendant of the National Touring Opera.
Michaël Nieuwenhuizen has over 40 years of experience in positions as director, advisor, policy officer, programme manager, lobbyist and supervisor. He is known in the arts and culture sector as an optimistic stayer who, in combination with a large network, has a broad agenda. Michaël combines substantive knowledge of music, visual arts, heritage and media with business and managerial experience. As a creative and strategic thinker, he is strong in setting out and profiling a new course and creating support.
George Oostrom is a former CEO of a multinational claims management company. He has worked in several countries and was responsible for the business activities in the Benelux and France. He is a member of NIVRE – the Dutch Institute of Registered Experts, of which he has been (vice) chairman for several years. As a board member, he is still associated with the foundation Calamities and Projects, a foundation affiliated with NIVRE.
In addition, George is a member of various boards related to the insurance sector, such as the Institute of Financial Crime, and he is active as an editorial board member of the Salvage Foundation of the combined fire insurers. George Oostrom has a great passion for opera and classical music.