The chamber opera »Powder Her Face« by Thomas Adès will enjoy its Dresden premiere at our Semper Zwei venue. Georg Schmiedleitner is staging this absorbing »biopic« about the scandalous life of Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll. The work, which expertly combines swing and tango with elements of Kurt Weill, Alban Berg and Igor Stravinsky, will be conducted by the young British-German maestro Tim Anderson, here performing in Dresden for the first time. 
But, of course, this is not just a time of unmitigated joy.

As a company, we are forced to face up to the challenges of our contemporary world, not least because as well as attracting an international audience, we have staff from more than 30 nations and numerous guests from all over the world. 
In this context, we are also often asked about our reaction to artists who come from Russia or are active there. 

Our attitude has remained unchanged since the outbreak of the illegal war of aggression on the Ukraine: Just as we do not tolerate any opinions endorsing this war in our company, we also do not automatically suspect anyone of holding such opinions merely due to their nationality. Here too, we adhere to the presumption of innocence and believe in the importance of showing respect to all. Even at a time of international conflict, art provides a space for everyone, of whatever background, to work creatively together and thus to enjoy a utopia of peaceful coexistence in their everyday lives. 

Finally, I would like to invite you to visit our event »Gemeinsam heimatlos« at Semper Zwei. Curated by Ukrainian women artists living in Dresden, this performance on November 8th is a stimulating mix of reading, live music and photo reportage aimed at exploring the refugee experience. 

Your
Peter Theiler
Intendant of the Staatsoper Dresden