Radical, charismatic, and committed to taking a “fresh, challenging and courageous artistic approach”, Artistic Director Matthias Schulz is responsible for the major renovation of Berlin’s Staatsoper. Having relaunched this iconic landmark, he’s now on a mission to make younger generations fall in love with opera. Here he explains to Gordon Debus, the General Manager of our nearby Hotel de Rome how…
Do you think it’s important to try and make opera more accessible to younger audiences, and how does an iconic venue like yours go about doing this?
“This is an absolute top priority for me. My mission is to help people develop an interest in opera and classical music as early as possible. At the Staatsoper, we’ve founded a new children’s orchestra for children aged 7 to 12, which works with Berlin’s music schools and the Staatskapelle Berlin. I’m very much looking forward to the orchestra’s debut performance in April.”
How do you work with local schools and communities to help young people enjoy opera?
“Our Kinderopernhaus Berlin work with Berlin’s music schools, elementary schools and youth centres. As well as providing an opportunity for kids to perform at the Staatsoper, we want to give children the chance to experience opera and make music in a playful, hands-on setting. On top of that, we offer children’s concerts and operas, workshops, rehearsal visits, youth clubs and a youth choir.”
Opera is often thought of as reserved for mature audiences. How do you go about dispelling this myth?
“It’s so important to me that young people are able to enjoy our program too, so we have a range of special ticket schemes for people under 30. Pricing should not be an obstacle to enjoying opera and we want to be accessible to a young audience. It’s our responsibility to help reduce the inhibitions that might keep young people from giving opera a try. You don’t need any prior knowledge to enjoy opera—it really is something you can experience intuitively.”
To book your stay at Hotel De Rome and discover more of Berlin’s captivating cultural offerings, please email info.derome@roccofortehotels.com or call +49 30 460 60 90.
Vivacious, glamorous, powerful. Few figures encapsulate the effortless grandeur of the Belle Époque quite like Donna Franca, our Sicilian muse. Famed for her petite frame, thick dark hair and an exquisite fashion sense that has endured for over a century, Franca was the epitome of an era that placed beauty and high fashion at its forefront.
The festive season brings its own kind of sparkle - a flurry of celebrations, feasts, and time with those who matter most. To make gifting simple, we’ve curated a selection of bespoke experiences to delight everyone on your list. From candlelit dinners and Italian wine tastings to tranquil spa escapes and moments devoted to yourself, each experience thoughtfully crafted to offer moments of joy.
In a time when beauty shaped every facet of life — from the curve of a staircase to the vivid bloom of a painted iris — Italy’s Stile Liberty captured the optimism of a new century. Across Europe in the late 19th century, the Belle Époque blurred the line between art and the everyday, celebrating craftsmanship, elegance, and expressive freedom. Now, a new cultural itinerary, From Mucha to Florio, traces that movement between Hotel de la Ville in Rome and Villa Igiea in Palermo, two different cities, two glorious expressions of the same artistic impulse.
