Opera House

Hanover State Opera stands in the city of Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony. It is part of the Hanover State Theatre, a publicly funded organisation that also runs plays and concerts. The company performs in the Hanover Opera House, a classical building designed by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves between 1845 and 1852.

The opera house has a long history of premieres, starting with Heinrich Marschner’s Der Bäbu in 1838. Notable figures have led the company, including George Alexander Albrecht, who served for 28 years, and Karen Kamensek, the first woman and first American to hold the post. The current general music director is Stephan Zilias, whose contract was extended in 2024. The International Choreographic Competition Hannover, the world’s longest-running event of its kind, has taken place there since the early 1980s.

Inside, visitors find a theatre museum alongside opera and ballet performances. The building’s acoustics were improved in 1985, and its stage was renovated between 1996 and 1998. The surroundings include the broader cultural scene of Hanover, where the opera plays a central role in the city’s arts life.