History

The first opera performance in Gdańsk. The opera Le nozze d’Amore and di Psiche by Marco Scacchi were presented on the occasion of the arrival of Queen Ludwig Maria, the forces of artists working in the theater at the Royal Castle in Warsaw on a daily basis. The work was staged in the Fencing School expanded to three thousand places. On the same occasion Michał Brunnerio composed the opera Marte e Amore.

The troupe of the widow Veltenowa performed the opera of Valentine Medera Nero – the first opera written in Gdansk.

Impresario K. Ackermann obtained a license to operate the theater. The beginning of regular performance of ballet operas and pantomimes.

The opening of a new theater building, which replaced the hall of the Fencing School.

Seven years after the Viennese premiere, Gdansk residents were able to see Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio for the first time (subsequent Mozart premieres: The Magic Flute – 1794, Don Giovanni – 1796, The Marriage of Figaro – 1798, The Clemency of Titus – 1807).

The opening of a new theater at Targ Weglowy, due to the characteristic dome called the “mill”.

Performances of ballet from Warsaw (the Gdansk ballet suspended its activities in 1788).

Inauguration of the Theater and Vocal Institute.

Performances of the troupe of Wojciech Boguslawski, who presented, among others, The Presumed Miracle, or Krakovians and Highlanders.

A few months after the Berlin premiere, the Gdansk premiere of C.M. von Weber's The Marksman.

First display of the Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung by the Angelo Neumann troupe.

Inauguration of The Forest Opera in Sopot (Kreutzer opera The Night Camp in Grenada).

Decision to build the Tattersaal building.

Laying of the foundation stone.

Completion of construction, putting the building to use.

The first symphonic concert in Tattersaal.

The Traveling Warsaw Opera presented S. Moniuszko’s „Halka” opera in the hall of the Sopot Spa House among other pieces.

Destruction of all stages in Gdansk by the Soviet army.

Established on the initiative of Iwo Gall, the Music and Dramatic Studio exhibits Halka.

Activities of Opera Studio under the direction of Zygmunt Latoszewski.

The first premiere of the Opera Studio, considered the beginning of the history of the Baltic Opera – Eugeniusz Onegin by Piotr Czajkowski.

The first ballet premiere (The Seasons of Glazunov).

The Opera Studio and the Philharmonic Orchestra merge into the Baltic State Opera and Philharmonic.

Reconstruction of the stage and facilities; address of the institution: Grand Theater in Gdańsk, Rokossowski st.

Baltic Opera performances at the Warsaw Autumn festival (Peter Grimes, Krakatuk, Dafnis and Chloé).

Baltic Opera performances at the Warsaw Autumn festival (Harnasie, The Miraculous Mandarin).

Building reconstruction; a foyer is created; institution address: Gdansk Wrzeszcz, al. Zwyciestwa.

Separation of the Opera and the Philharmonic, which become independent institutions.

Włodzimierz Nawotka becomes the general director.

The first post-war premiere of Wagner's opera (Tannhäuser) in Gdansk.

Modernization of the audience.

1st Midsummer Nights of Opera Music – festival of concert and semi-stage performances of operas in the church of St. John.

The first post-war premiere of Richard Strauss's opera in Gdańsk – The Knight of the Rose.

Marek Weiss becomes the general and artistic director, and José Maria Florêncio – the music director. Mozart’s Don Giovanni is the first showcase of the new management of the Baltic Opera.

The Baltic Opera presents The Rape of Lucretia by Britten at the Festival and Opera Competition in Szeged (Hungary). The performer of the title part – Janja Vuletic – receives the award for the best singer. This is the first performance in the history of Polish opera presented by the Mezzo TV station.

The Baltic Opera gains another invitation to the Festival and Opera Competition in Szeged. We present Ariadna on Naxos by Richard Strauss directed by Mark Weiss.

Establishment of the Baltic Dance Theater. The choreographer and creator of the band – Izadora Weiss – becomes the general director of BTT.

The Baltic Opera – as the only Polish opera theater – has been recognized by BBC television as one of the nine best opera theaters in Europe, next to the London Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona, Opera La Monnaie in Brussels or Opera in Amsterdam.

The world premiere of the opera by Elżbieta Sikora Madame Curie, directed and staged by Marek Weiss. The premiere took place in Paris, as part of the official Cultural Program of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council.

Changing the name from the Baltic State Opera to the Baltic Opera in Gdansk.

Graham Watts in the prestigious magazine “Dance Europe” recognized the performance of the Baltic Dance Theater Midsummer Night’s Dream choreographed by Izadora Weiss as the best dance performance in the world in 2013.

The premiere of the DVD with the recording of the Elżbieta Sikora’s Madame Curie performance recorded at the Baltic Opera. The recording received the French Prize Orphée du Prestige Lyrique de l’Europe de l’Academie du Disque Lyrique.

The premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki's opera Ubu Rex directed by Janusz Wiśniewski. It was the first production of the composer's opera in Gdańsk.

Madame Curie performance shown in China as the inauguration of the first edition of the Opera and Ballet Festival at the Tjanjin Grand Theater.

Premiere of Zygmunt Krauze’s opera Olimpia from Gdansk, directed and staged by Jerzy Lach. Opera was created as part of the Opera Gedanensis series.

Prof. Warcisław Kunc becomes the director of the Baltic Opera. La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini is the first premiere of the 2016/2017 season.

With the new management a new classical ballet ensemble is created under the direction of Wojciech Warszawski and Izabela Sokołowska-Boulton.

On April 12, 2018 – after a decade – the operetta returns to the stage of the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk. It’s Orpheus in Hell by Jacques Offenbach.

Romuald Wicza-Pokojski becomes the general director of the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk, while the music director is José Maria Florêncio.

Adolph Adam’s Giselle – the first premiere of the season and also the first full-size ballet premiere prepared in the style of classical ballet. The choreography was prepared by: Emil Wesołowski (I act), Izabela Sokołowska-Boulton and Wojciech Warszawski (II act).

Guest performance of Baltic Opera orchestra on the stage in Tallinn with the spectacle Tango (the premiere being a co-production with the Warsaw Chamber Opera).

The premiere of The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini, directed by Paweł Szkotak.

Leonard Bernstein’s Candide – New Year's Eve premiere and at the same time ending of the solemn celebration of the composer’s hundredth birthday.

Premiere of Jules Massenet’s Thaïs – opera staged in Poland for the first time.

Exactly on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Stanisław Moniuszko, in the Moniuszko Year, The Countess is staged, directed by Krystyna Janda.

The performance choreographed by Mauricio Wainrot, an Argentine choreographer of Polish origin. Four Seasons in Buenos Aires by Astor Piazzolla, Alberto Ginaster’s Estancia and Anna Frank – ballet to the music of Béla Bartók.

European premiere of "Olga" by Jorge Antunes, a Brazilian composer, directed by Romuald Wicz-Pokojski.

The Baltic Opera in Gdańsk presented "Thais" at the Festival of Opera and Ballet Arts (FOBA) in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. The performance, directed by Romuald Wicz-Pokojski (music directed by Jose Maria Florencio), was a great success and was received with spectacular ovations.

Polish premiere of the work of the Italian composer Antonio Cagnoni "Don Bucefalo". The premiere at the Baltic Opera was the first premiere of this work and also the third world premiere.

The ballet premiere of Felix Medelssohn-Bartholdy's "Midsummer Night's Dream", choreographed by Gray Veredon, who adapted his classic choreography for the Baltic Opera Ballet in Gdańsk.