5th Chamber Concert
in the Laurentiushalle of the Anhaltische Diakonissenanstalt invites you to a subtle dialogue between the instruments
On Sunday, February 15, at 11 a.m., the Anhaltisches Theater invites you to the 5th Chamber Concert in the Laurentiushalle of the Anhaltische Diakonissenanstalt. The program features two masterpieces of chamber music literature for clarinet, viola, and piano. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s so-called “Kegelstatt Trio” will be performed, whose title refers tongue-in-cheek to the presumed place of its creation during a game of skittles in convivial company. In contrast to Mozart’s trio, Max Bruch’s romantic “Eight Pieces” are rarely performed in their entirety, as they place the highest demands on the performers’ skills. Oscar Fayos Franco (clarinet), Hui Ma (viola), and Christian Hammer (piano) will perform in the Laurentiushalle.
Date:
February 15, 2026 | 11 a.m. | Laurentiushalle of the Anhaltische Diakonissenanstalt

General Director Johannes Weigand to be guest at the 28th Dessau Schäferstündchen

The 28th Dessau Schäferstündchen promises an entertaining and insightful evening on February 21 at the Altes Theater Dessau. Alexander G. Schäfer welcomes Johannes Weigand, general director of the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau, for a conversation about his career, his current work, and personal anecdotes.

Weigand has been general director in Dessau since 2015/16 and has made his mark on the theater with opera, musicals, plays, and productions for young audiences. His productions include “Sugar – Some Like It Hot,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Der zerbrochne Krug” (The Broken Jug), “Lady Hamilton,” “Im Weißen Rößl” (The White Horse Inn), and this season’s “Così fan tutte” and “Die Fledermaus” (The Bat).

Johannes Weigand studied musical theater direction in Hamburg and previously worked at renowned theaters in Germany and abroad. From 2009 to 2014, he was opera director in Wuppertal and received international awards, including the Italian music critics’ prize “Franco Abbiati.”

He has also worked as a translator, lecturer in directing at the Cologne University of Music, and visiting professor of directing at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Date: 28th Dessau Schäferstündchen – Guest: General Director Johannes Weigand

February 21, 4 p.m. / Altes Theater (foyer)

Orchestral diversity: rediscoveries and masterpieces in the 4th symphony concert

On March 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m., the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau invites you to the 4th symphony concert of the Anhaltische Philharmonie under the baton of its new principal conductor Svetoslav Borisov as part of the Kurt Weill Festival.

The focus is on the revival of Kurt Weill’s earliest surviving orchestral composition: the Suite in E major, written in 1918/19 during his first year of study with Engelbert Humperdinck in Berlin. The six-movement work, an astonishing display of talent by the 18-year-old and dedicated to his father “in grateful admiration,” was long considered lost and was only rediscovered in 1983. Following a performance in Dessau in 1995, the suite will now be performed in a new practical edition by British Weill expert James Holmes.

As part of the South American focus at the Anhaltisches Theater, the harp concerto by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera will also receive its Dessau premiere. The work combines folkloric and modern elements and has been considered a milestone in harp literature since its successful premiere in 1965. The extremely virtuosic solo part in this work will be played by German harpist Manuela Randlinger.

The concert concludes with Maurice Ravel’s famous “Boléro” (1928) – a fascinating orchestral crescendo that, with its unchanging melody and rhythm, unfolds one of the most impressive crescendos in music history.

An introduction will take place in the foyer at 6:30 p.m. on both concert dates.

Conductor Svetoslav Borisov
Soloist Manuela Randlinger
Harp Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau

The symphony concerts of the Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau are generously supported by Octapharma Dessau GmbH.

Dates: March 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m. | Großes Haus

An introduction to the concert will take place in the foyer at 6:30 p.m. on both concert dates.

“Puppe ab 18” with “Solo Sunny & me”

A declaration of love to “Solo Sunny” by Tilla Kratochwil, loosely based on the film “Solo Sunny” by Konrad Wolf and Wolfgang Kohlhaase

On Saturday, March 21, at 6 p.m., the guest performance series for adults “Puppe ab 18” continues at the Altes Theater, offering an extraordinary evening with the play “Solo Sunny & me,” based on the well-known stage version of the 1980 DEFA classic “Solo Sunny.”

A lot has changed in 40 years, but the questions about one’s own life remain universal. The story of pop singer Ingrid Sommer, alias Sunny, who lives in a backyard in Prenzlauer Berg, sings in a band, and performs in villages and small towns, becomes the basis for telling the story of one’s own life—the dreams and disappointments. It’s about life plans – each instrument a new person, each piece of music a different longing.

A singer in the theater, portrayed by an actress who treats herself to a concert performance. The show with Rike Schuberty reinterprets the story.

Date at the Altes Theater/Studio
March 21, 2026, 6 p.m.

The Metamorphosis
Play based on Franz Kafka

Premiere on February 20, 2026, at 8 p.m. | Altes Theater/Studio

With “The Metamorphosis,” Franz Kafka created one of the most haunting parables in world literature: The young traveling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning as a vermin and experiences how care turns into rejection, fear, and contempt. Unable to continue providing for his family, his existence is increasingly perceived as useless and disruptive—even by his beloved sister. Gregor’s lonely death marks both the end of the burden and the beginning of a new start for the family.
Kafka’s 1912 story raises timeless questions about utility, exclusion, and alienation: What happens to a person when they no longer meet society’s expectations? A text of oppressive relevance that continues to challenge us with new interpretations to this day.

Further dates: February 23 at 12 noon (for school classes/visitor groups), March 7 at 8 p.m. (remaining tickets), and April 4 at 8 p.m. | Altes Theater/Studio

Tickets for further dates will go on sale shortly!

Tickets are available at all Anhaltisches Theater box offices, online at www.anhaltisches-theater.de, and at the evening box office.