The Leipzig Opera is honoring the composer, singer and actor Albert Lortzing with a festival on his 225th birthday and 175th death anniversary in 2026. “Lortzing 26” will take place from April 24th to May 3rd, 2026 as part of the city of Leipzig’s annual festival. Not only were many of his operas premiered in Leipzig, but the creator of “Zar und Zimmermann” also appeared on stage himself and helped shape the musical events of his time in a controversial and popular way.
During the ten days of the festival “Lortzing 26”, ten performances can be experienced in the opera house and in the musical comedy, including two premieres: Albert Lortzing’s popular play opera “The Armorer”, a comedy of confusion about love and status, and his great revolutionary opera “Regina”. In addition to repertoire works such as “Zar und Zimmermann” and “Undine”, chamber and choral concerts can also be experienced in cooperation with the International Festival for Vocal Music “a cappella” and the Ensemble amarcord. Also planned are a scientific conference in collaboration with the University of Leipzig and several exhibitions and performances by a wide variety of choirs from all over Germany. To this end, the Leipzig Opera prepares offers for the whole family as well as walks to the places in the city that were important to Lortzing: Albert Lortzing took an active part in the city’s social life, be it in the Freemason Lodge “Balduin zur Linde” or together with Robert Blum rediscovering the Schiller House in Leipzig. “Lortzing 26” sheds light on his places of work and reminds us of lost Lortzing places, such as the “Alte Theater” on today’s Richard-Wagner-Platz.
Tobias Wolff, director of the Leipzig Opera, is looking forward to the festival: “Lortzing 26″ is a great opportunity to rediscover this free spirit and jack-of-all-trades of a composer.” Torsten Rose, director of the musical comedy, adds: “The feature operas of Albert Lortzing are firmly anchored in the musical comedy schedule. Many great composers were inspired by him.”
For the music city of Leipzig, “Lortzing 26” is part of the annual round of festivals that commemorate the city’s great musicians. The ten central performances and premieres will be accompanied in the Musical Comedy by its orchestra and in the Opera House by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Advance sales for the festival started recently. The full program will be announced in April 2025.
If you want to travel to Leipzig and experience Lortzing’s most popular opera “Tsar and Zimmermann” as early as 2025, you can book the travel offer “A Lortzing weekend in Leipzig” with Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH. In addition to the entrance ticket (price group I) for the opera, this also includes two overnight stays (including breakfast), a 3-course “Music City Leipzig” menu in the Barthels Hof inn and a large city tour. Dates: 14th-16th February or 9th-11th May 2025
Further information and booking: www.leipzig.travel/lortzing25-reise
Who is Albert? – Vita and claim
Albert Lortzing had to leave Leipzig almost 180 years ago, but his music is inextricably linked to the city. This is where he lived and worked for the longest time and created most of his works. From 2025, the Leipzig Opera will have the slogan “Who is Albert?” usher in the “Lortzing 26” festival and go in search of clues.
Born on October 23, 1801 in Berlin, Gustav Albert Lortzing grew up in a theater family. Even as a teenager he became a crowd favorite. Together with his colleague Rosina Regina Ahles, who married in 1824, he was part of the ensemble of the Detmold Court Theater from 1826. In November 1833, Lortzing moved with his growing family to Leipzig because he had been offered a position as an actor and singer at the city theater. He celebrated success primarily in comedies and was politically and socially involved – as a member of the “Tunnel over the Pleiße” association, where the political opposition met during the pre-March period. During his time in Leipzig, Lortzing composed eight operas, including his most successful composition “Zar und Zimmermann”, which had its premiere in 1837 at what was then the Leipzig City Theater. Lortzing also wrote the libretto and played the role of Peter Ivanov. Finally appointed bandmaster in 1844, he was dismissed just a year later for presumably financial and personal reasons, which was blamed on a rheumatic illness. After various positions in Vienna and Berlin, he died impoverished on January 21, 1851, at the age of only 49.
Between 1835 and 1850 Albert Lortzing was the most important German opera composer. Until well into the post-war period, his operas were among the most frequently performed works on German-speaking stages.
Further information: lortzing.oper-leipzig.de