The fairytale children's opera "The Sunken City" by Oldenburg-based Romanian composer Violeta Dinescu was realised not only as music theatre for children, but also as a project with children, students and professionals as part of klangpol and in co-operation between the Institute of Music at the University of Oldenburg and the Oldenburg State Theatre, and was performed in two completely sold-out performances as part of klangpol's NOIeS! concert series on 23.4.23 in the EXHALLE of the Oldenburg State Theatre.

Together with the protagonist Silja, the young and adult audience is whisked away to a magical underwater world. There they find themselves in a city that has been submerged for a long time and can only surface for half an hour every seven years. The inhabitants of the town desperately want to be freed and place all their hopes in the girl. Can Silja help them?

Download the programme booklet: HERE

Preliminary report UOL (campus life): HERE.

Press review in the NWZ for the premiere on 23.4.23: HERE

Report on oeinsTV (4 min.): HERE

Production photos: SEE BELOW

The complete recording of oeinsTV can be watched at any time HERE (password can be requested via contact on the left/above). It was broadcast/streamed seven times in June and July 2023 on oeinsTV or in the live stream (duration approx. 45 min.).

CONTRIBUTORS

Project leader & director:
Volker Schindel and students from the University of Oldenburg
Musical director:
Felix Schauren
Musicological accompaniment & programme booklet:
apl. Prof. Dr. Kadja Grönke and music students from the University of Oldenburg

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

City dwellers, sound and noise improvisations, seagulls, animated stage design, picture designs:
Class 4a of Bloherfelde Primary School (coordination & class leader: Kristina Gronau)
Design of the sea animals/stones: Class 4a (coordination: 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 (Head: Volker Schindel, University of Oldenburg)

Programme booklet team:
Andris Möring, Jule Manja Molchin, Noélie Petruck, Sophia Rother and Frederika Scheifler (coordination and final version: 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 friendly 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 klangpol's NOIeS! concert series.

With the kind support of klangpol - NETZWERK NEUE MUSIK NORDWEST, the Universitätsgesellschaft Oldenburg (UGO) e.V., the Institute of Music at the University of Oldenburg, the Dialogue Concerts at the University of Oldenburg with the Barthel Foundation and the Verein für Musiktheaterproduktionen am Institute of Music der Uni Oldenburg e. V.