Opera Camps

During the Opera Camps, music-loving children and teenagers aged 9 to 17 become immersed in the world of opera and spend a week at Schloss Arenberg together with artists and experienced teaching professionals. Here they engage with material from great operas and conclude the week by performing their own interpretations of the works, assisted by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, in front of an audience.

The Opera Camps began in 2006 with the Magic Flute Camp. Since then, passwort:klassik has prepared more than 35 operas from different musical eras, such as Baroque, Classical, Romantique, Modern and Contemporary operas for the participants of the camps.

The experiences with musical theater and the interpersonal encounters that the camps provide represent a highlight of the children's summer vacation. This also lays the foundation for a love of musical theatre.

Conception and Lead: Hanne Muthspiel-Payer

OPERA CAMP - COSÌ FAN TUTTE about the opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for children aged 9 to 12

OPERA CAMP - ARIADNE AUF NAXOS about the opera Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss for teenagers aged 13 to 16

OPERA CAMP - SAINT FRANÇOIS D'ASSISE about the opera Saint François d’Assise by Olivier Messiaen for teenagers aged 15 to 17

The Vienna Philharmonic’s Opera Camps celebrated their 20th anniversary on August 8, 2026, with a festive reception at the University Mozarteum and have long since become an integral part of the Salzburg Festival. A variety of interesting remarks were delivered by Daniel Froschauer, Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic, Dr. Kristina Hammer, President of the Salzburg Festival, and the driving forces behind the initiative in 2006: Prof. Wolfgang Aulitzky of the Salzburg Austrian American Foundation and Dr. Dieter Flury, who at the time was principal flutist and chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic. Prof. Klaus Schneider from the Detmold University of Music rounded out the program with a brief overview of music education. The 10-minute documentary film provided insight into 60 opera camps held from 2006 to 2026, featuring 40 different operas—ranging from Gluck to Mozart and Verdi, and from Schoenberg to Nono and Messiaen—which took place under the direction of music educator Hanne Muthspiel-Payer with over 2,500 children and young people from 40 nations. We were pleased to welcome participants and companions from all walks of life as guests.

OPERA CAMP - MACBETH about the opera Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi for children aged 9 to 12

OPERA CAMP - MARIA STUARDA about the opera Maria Stuarda by Gaetano Donizetti for teenagers aged 13 to 16

OPERA CAMP - ERWARTUNG/ABSCHIED based on Arnold Schönberg's monodrama Erwartung and Gustav Mahler's Der Abschied from Das Lied von der Erde for teenagers aged 15 to 17

OPERA CAMP – CAPRICCIO about the opera Capriccio by Richard Strauss for young people from 13 to 16 years of age

OPERA CAMP – DER IDIOT about the opera Der Idiot by Mieczysław Weinberg for young people from 15 to 17 years of age

OPERA CAMP – HOFFMANNS ERZÄHLUNGEN about the opera Les Contes d’ Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach for young people from 9 to 12 years of age

JEDERMANN-CAMP about the play Jedermann by Hugo von Hofmannsthal for young people from 10 to 16 years of age

FIGARO-CAMP about the opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for young people from 15 to 17 years of age

ORFEO-CAMP about the opera Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck for children & young people from 9 to 12 years of age

FALSTAFF-CAMP about the opera Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi for young people from 13 to 16 years of age

Everyman Camp about the play Everyman by Hugo von Hofmannsthal for young people from 10 to 15 years of age

Magic Flute Camp about the musical play The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for children from 9 to 12 years of age

Kát'a Kabanová-Camp about the opera Kát'a Kabanová by Leoš Janáček for young people from 15 to 17 years of age

Aida Camp about the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verdi for young people from 13 to 16 years of age

• Jedermann-Camp about the play Jedermann by Hugo von Hofmannsthal for young people from 10 to 15 years of age
• Così fan tutte-Camp about the opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for young people from 13 to 16 years of age
• Intolleranza-Camp about the opera Intolleranza 1960 by Luigi Nono for young people from 15 to 18 years of age
• Tosca-Camp about the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini for young people from 9 to 12 years of age

• Medea-Camp about the opera Médée by Luigi Cherubini for young people from 13 to 15 years of age
• Orpheus-Camp about the opera Orphée by Jaques Offenbach for young people from 9 to 12 years of age
• Ödipus-Camp about the opera Oper Oedipe by George Enescu for young people from 15 to 18 years of age