Leipzig celebrates the Composer Albert Lortzing

Premieres of Lortzing’s »Regina« and »Der Waffenschmied« at the Opera House and the Musikalische Komödie

Concert collaboration with the International Festival for Vocal Music »a cappella«

To honour the composer, singer and actor Albert Lortzing on the 225th anniversary of his birth and the 175th anniversary of his death, Oper Leipzig is holding a dedicated festival. »Lortzing 26« will take place from 24 April to 3 May 2026 as part of the City of Leipzig’s annual festival celebrations. Not only did several of his “Spieloperas” premiere in Leipzig, but the creator of »Zar und Zimmermann« also took to the stage himself, playing a combative and down-to-earth role in shaping the musical and political events of his time.

Programme »Lortzing 26«

The »Lortzing 26« programme includes ten performances staged over the ten days of the festival at the Opera House and the Musikalische Komödie, including two premieres: Albert Lortzing’s popular Spieloper »Der Waffenschmied«, a comedy of mistaken identity revolving around love and social status, and his major revolutionary opera »Regina« – with Constantin Trinks conducting the Gewandhausorchester and Bernd Mottl directing. Alongside repertoire works such as »Zar und Zimmermann« and »Undine«, audiences can look forward to a major concert in collaboration with the International Festival for Vocal Music »a cappella« and the ensemble amarcord. Younger audiences are catered for with »Der kleine Zar«, a specially devised version of »Zar und Zimmermann«. The wide-ranging accompanying programme extends beyond chamber and choral concerts and a musicological symposium to include a »Tanz in den Mai« (May Day) celebration, a Biedermeier breakfast, and an open stage for choirs on Augustusplatz – and, very much in keeping with Lortzing’s boundless versatility, celebrations take centre stage!

Tobias Wolff, Intendant of Leipzig Opera: »For over a century, Albert Lortzing was one of the most frequently performed opera composers in the German-speaking world. This was no coincidence; he connected with his audience in a way that few others did. He wrote his most important works in Leipzig. With our festival, we want to show just how much vitality, wit, and contemporary relevance his works still hold today – with four major stage productions, both familiar and lesser-known pieces, a scholarly symposium, and open formats extending to an Open Stage. I am particularly excited about our collaboration with the a cappella festival.«

Who is Albert? Exhibition and biography

Almost 180 years ago, Albert Lortzing had to leave Leipzig, yet his music remains inextricably linked to the city. It was here that the composer, librettist, actor, singer and conductor lived and worked for the longest period of his life and created most of his works. Lortzing took an active part in the city’s social life, whether in Masonic lodges or alongside Robert Blum in the rediscovery of Leipzig’s Schiller House. »Lortzing 26« sheds light on the places where he worked, and as part of the programme, there is also an audio walk commemorating sites associated with Lortzing that have since disappeared, such as the »Altes Theater« on what is now Richard-Wagner-Platz. An exhibition in the cloakroom foyer of the Opera House reflects his significance as an exceptional artist for Leipzig and the society of his time.

Gustav Albert Lortzing was born on 23 October 1801 in Berlin into a theatrical family. Even as a teenager, he became a favourite with the public. In 1824, he married his colleague Rosina Regina Ahles, and in 1826, the couple joined the ensemble of the Detmold Court Theatre, which also performed in Münster and Osnabrück. In November 1833, Lortzing moved to Leipzig with his growing family after being offered a position as an actor and singer at the Stadttheater. He enjoyed particular success in comic roles and played an active part in political and social life, being a member of the social club »Tunnel über der Pleiße«, where the political opposition met during the Vormärz period, as well as a member of the Leipzig Masonic lodge »Balduin zur Linde«. During his time in Leipzig, Lortzing composed, among other works, eight operas, including his most successful work, »Zar und Zimmermann«, which premiered at the Stadttheater Leipzig in 1837. Lortzing also wrote the libretto and performed the role of Peter Ivanov himself. Appointed Kapellmeister in 1844, he was dismissed just one year later, probably for financial and personal reasons, with a rheumatic illness cited as the official cause. Following periods in Vienna and Berlin and some occasional compositions, he died in poverty on 21 January 1851 at the age of just 49.  

What remains clear is that between 1835 and 1850, Albert Lortzing was the most important German opera composer of his time, and well into the post-war period, his operas were among the most frequently performed works on German-speaking stages. This is not his only legacy: members of the extended Lortzing family, his direct descendants, will travel to Leipzig for the premiere of »Regina«.

Further information on Albert Lortzing:
https://www.oper-leipzig.de/de/magazin/theatermensch-mit-herz/185

All information on the festival:https://lortzing.oper-leipzig.de/

Lortzing 26 – Programme overview

Exhibition ZWISCHEN BÜHNE UND BARRIKADE Opera House

Fri 24.04.2026 19:00 Premiere DER WAFFENSCHMIED Musikalische Komödie

Sat 25.04.2026 11:00 Audio walk: a sonic journey from Schiller to Lortzing – starting at the Market Square

Sat 25.04.2026 19:00 Premiere REGINA Opera House

Sun 26.04.2026 15:00 ZAR UND ZIMMERMANN Musikalische Komödie

Tue 28.04.2026 19:30 LIED UND LIEB song recital Mendelssohn Haus

Thu 30.04.2026 19:30 UNDINE Opera House

Thu 30.04.2026 19:30 Symposium held by the Institute of Musicology, University of Leipzig: Albert Lortzing and the Relationship between Comedy and Seriousness in Early 19th-Century Opera. Opera House (continued Fri 01.05.2026 and Sat 02.05.2026 at the university)

Thu 30.04.2026 22:00 Nightcap Deluxe with “Tanz in den Mai” Opera House

Fri 01.05.2026 19:30 Concert of the International Festival for Vocal Music »a cappella«: To Spring – Albert Lortzing and German Romanticism Opera House

Fri 01.05.2026 15:00 ZAR UND ZIMMERMANN – with live audio description and tactile tour Musikalische Komödie

Sat 02.05.2026 10:00 Biedermeier breakfast and open stage for choirs Augustusplatz

Sat 02.05.2026 11:00 DER KLEINE ZAR Musikalische Komödie

Sat 02.05.2026 15:00 DER KLEINE ZAR Musikalische Komödie

Sat 02.05.2026 19:00 REGINA Opera House

Sun 03.05.2026 11:00 Musical reading: A City of Sciences, Music in Particular Opera House

Sun 03.05.2026 18:00 DER WAFFENSCHMIED Musikalische Komödie