Vienna Volksoper

The Vienna Volksoper is an opera house in the Austrian capital. Built in 1898 as the Kaiserjubiläum-Stadttheater, it opened with plays before becoming a public opera in 1903. The house has three levels with 1,261 seats and 72 standing places. Its stage measures 17.2 metres wide and 19 metres deep, with a circular turntable at its centre. Two electrically driven lifts serve the orchestra pit, which can be raised or lowered by up to 2.65 metres. A hydraulically operated red velvet curtain opens and closes at speeds up to three metres per second. The Volksoper quickly became Vienna’s second prestige opera house after the State Opera. In 1906 Alexander Zemlinsky became its first bandmaster. Maria Jeritza, Leo Slezak and Richard Tauber appeared on its stage in the early 20th century. Felix Weingartner served as artistic director from 1919, followed by Hugo Gruder-Guntram, who expanded summer tours to Abbazia, Cairo and Italy. After the Second World War it replaced the damaged State Opera, returning to full opera, operetta and musical productions by 1955. Visitors find a grand auditorium with three tiers of seating and two wheelchair places. The stage features a liftable turntable 15 metres across, surrounded by a rotating ring. Performances range from classic operas like Tosca and Salome to lighter works. The house remains a lively venue under collective leadership with the State Opera and Burgtheater. Recent seasons have seen the first female artistic director, Lotte de Beer, and new music director Ben Glassberg.