Intimate atmosphere and young talents on stage

Kammeroper

The Wiener Kammeroper was founded in 1953 by Prof. Hans Gabor. Initially an ensemble without a permanent home, it performed in the outer districts of Vienna specifically for the Vienna Chamber of Labor, in the Vienna Concert Hall for the Youth Theatre, thus fulfilling an important cultural-political mission. Guest tours to Belgium, Italy, and Germany established the international reputation of the still young ensemble early on.  

In 1961, after securing a subsidy from the Ministry of Education of the City of Vienna, a former dance hall at Fleischmarkt 24 was adapted for opera purposes and became the permanent venue of the Wiener Kammeroper. In the early 1980s, Gabor withdrew from the conductor's podium to devote himself exclusively to the artistic management and administration of his theatre.  

With the introduction of the "Studio K" series in 1983, efforts were made to provide a stronger platform for modern works. In an attempt to attract a young audience, Hans Gabor came up with the idea of presenting rock operas. Classical works such as La Bohème or Carmen in contemporary musical language became not only a topic of daily conversation in Vienna, but soon also found international imitators. 

A new chapter was opened by the Wiener Kammeroper in 1992 with open-air performances of Mozart operas in front of the Roman Ruin in the Schönbrunn Palace Park. The open-air performances became a great international success. After the unexpected death of Gabor in 1994, the successful programming of the past was continued. In the 1999/2000 season, Isabella Gabor and Holger Bleck took over the management of the house. Supporting young singers with the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, the summer opera and operetta performances in the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre, and the opera productions in the house at Fleischmarkt were – in keeping with the tradition of the house – the essential mainstays of the WienerKammeroper.

When the federal government withdrew as a subsidy provider in 2011, a new concept for performances by the Theater an der Wien was developed together with the managing association of the Wiener Kammeroper in coordination with the City of Vienna. Since September 2012, the Theater an der Wien has been performing at the Kammeroper, thereby expanding its repertoire to include the diverse spectrum of intimate chamber opera works. Talent promotion is also given high priority in this context – initially through the founding of the Young Ensemble of the Theater an der Wien (JET) and currently through the CAMPUS program of the MusikTheater an der Wien.