The fairy-tale children’s opera *The Sunken City* by the Oldenburg-based Romanian composer Violeta Dinescu was realised as part of the klangpol programme and in co-operation between the Institute of Music at the University of Oldenburg and the Oldenburg State Theatre – not merely as a musical theatre production for children, but as a project involving children, students and professionals, and was staged in two completely sold-out performances as part of klangpol’s NOIeS! concert series on 23 April 2023 in the EXHALLE of the Oldenburg State Theatre.

Together, the young and adult audience are whisked away with the protagonist, Silja, into an enchanting underwater world. There they find themselves in a city that has long since sunk and can resurface for just half an hour every seven years. The city’s inhabitants long for their liberation and pin all their hopes on the girl. Will Silja be able to help them?

Programme booklet available for download: HERE

Preview article in UOL (Campus Life): HERE.

Press review in the NWZ on the premiere on 23 April 2023: HERE

Report on oeinsTV (4 mins): HERE

Production photos: SEE BELOW

The full recording from oeinsTV can be viewed at any time HERE ( please enquire for the password via the ‘Contact’ link at the top left). It was broadcast or streamed seven times on oeinsTV or via live stream in June and July 2023 (duration approx. 45 mins).

CAST

Project leader & direction:
Volker Schindel and students from the University of Oldenburg
Musical direction:
Felix Schauren
Musicological support & programme booklet:
Associate Professor Dr Kadja Grönke and music students from the University of Oldenburg

Silja: Hye-Sun Yoo
Merchant/Beggar: Marija Jokovic
Seagull/Juggler: Nae Matakas
Piano: Olga Riazantceva-Schwarz
Clarinets: Nayoung Cheong
Percussion: Gereon Voß

Townspeople, sound and noise improvisations, seagulls, animated set design, visual concepts:
Class 4a of Bloherfelde Primary School (co-ordination & class teacher: Kristina Gronau)
Design of sea creatures/stones: Class 4a (co-ordination: Eva Püschel)

Creative team: direction, set design, choreography, work with the school class:
Saskia Katharina Altenschmidt, Mey Luzia Baak, Merle Hinrichsen, Anne Kötz, Talea Neeland and Emily Wilgen (supervised by Volker Schindel, University of Oldenburg)

Programme booklet team:
Andris Möring, Jule Manja Molchin, Noélie Petruck, Sophia Rother and Frederika Scheifler (co-ordinated and finalised by Kadja Grönke, University of Oldenburg)

Animations: Arne Wachtmann

THANK YOU to the Oldenburg State Theatre and especially to Nina Aufderheide, Saskia Kruse, Jan Kratzmann and Christian Firmbach for their kind co-operation and support.

A project by the Institute of Music at the University of Oldenburg in co-operation with the Oldenburg State Theatre and Bloherfelde Primary School as part of the NOIeS! concert series organised by klangpol.

With the kind support of klangpol – NETZWERK NEUE MUSIK NORDWEST, the Oldenburg University Society (UGO) e.V., the Institute of Music at the University of Oldenburg, the ‘Dialogkonzerte’ at the University of Oldenburg in partnership with the Barthel Foundation, and the Association for Music Theatre Productions at the Institute of Music, University of Oldenburg e. V.