Haifa Opera

The Haifa Opera was established following the decision of the outgoing mayor Mr. Yona Yahav. The Haifa Opera aims to bring the culture and message of opera to Haifa and the peripheral cities of Israel. We believe that a society that supports and spreads creativity and culture among all levels of the population is a valuable society. This is the twelfth season in which the Haifa Opera stages operas. In July 2005, the opera “Don Giovanni” by Mozart was staged. The three performances were full to the brim and the production received praise both from the audience of musical critics in Israel and from the audience of the opera’s listeners. The opera even received an honorable mention in the prestigious European magazine “Opera”. In July 2006, the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart was staged with great success, which unfortunately was cut short due to the war. In July 2007 we performed the opera “Madame Butterfly” by Puccini in an innovative, minimalist and refreshing performance. In light of the success and demand and due to the fact that we have begun to build a tradition among the Haifa audience that waits for operas every summer, we have increased and expanded the program and now we stage between two and three operas per season. So far we have performed about twenty operas. The opera productions of the Haifa Opera are full productions that give a stage to Israeli artists, starting with conductors, singers, and ending with directors, set designers, etc. This fact creates an atmosphere of pioneering and creative joy among all those engaged in the craft, which of course are transmitted to the audience.

The uniqueness of the productions is in interesting and contemporary performances. The productions are mobile and modular allowing access to a wide variety of venues. Opera is a combination of arts. In order for the opera to open itself to new audiences, we must adapt ourselves to the modern era. And there is nothing better than an operatic production to bring young audiences together, in the hope that they will become a loyal and culture-loving audience for many days. In October 2018, we produced the opera “Yevgeni Onegin” and even inaugurated the pit of the Haifa Auditorium, which was established for the needs of performing operas. In December 2019, we produced the opera Don Giovanni conducted by Sergio Alapont from Spain and in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Israel. In July 2021, despite the corona virus, we staged the opera “Tosca” in a full international production with the participation of soloists from the leading opera houses in Europe. The halls were full to the brim. In December 2021, we performed the opera “La Boheme” conducted by Yishai Steckler and directed by Danny Erlich. In July 2022 we staged “Carmen” under the direction of Maestro Yoel Levy. During the 22-23 season, the Haifa Opera will present two new productions “The Magic Flute” and “La Traviata”. In addition, the “Pearls of Opera” series, on Friday mornings – a series of chamber operas, which we launched in the 21-22 season, will continue in the upcoming season with 3 new shows.

In all opera productions, from the Haifa Opera House next to the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, guest soloists from Israel and abroad participate. The “Bat Shir” house choir also participates. In conclusion, the city of Haifa in particular and the north in general are entitled, according to our worldview, to a quality and vibrant culture.