Shanghai Grand Opera House will officially open on Oct 17 with its Born to Sing opening performance season, which will run through Feb 20, 2027.

The season will feature six major sections — opera, concerts, dance, traditional Chinese opera, Spring Festival performances, and arts education — presenting 47 productions in 82 performances, alongside more than 100 arts education activities.

Here are some highlights to help you plan your visit.

Opera: Three Asian premieres

Three major opera productions by leading international companies will make their Asian premieres during the opening season.

Teatro La Fenice's new production of Tosca, directed by Joan Anton Rechi, relocates the story from 1800 to the 1950s, exploring humanity's enduring pursuit of freedom. The production premiered at Teatro La Fenice in Venice in August 2025 and will be staged in Shanghai on Oct 22 and 24.

The Mariinsky Theatre's new production of Aida, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will also receive its Asian premiere. One of Giuseppe Verdi's best-known operas, Aida tells the tragic love story of Ethiopian princess Aida and Egyptian military commander Radames against the backdrop of war between Egypt and Ethiopia. It will be staged from Oct 30 to Nov 1.

Christian Thielemann will conduct Staatsoper Unter den Linden's Der Rosenkavalier as the production comes to China with its full original staging for the first time. The opera is one of Richard Strauss's classic comic works, blending romantic melodies, witty drama, and the atmosphere of the Viennese waltz. It will be staged on Nov 8, 10, and 12.

Concerts: Complete cycles and star musicians

The concert program will include two major complete-cycle series.

To mark the 120th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's birth, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will perform all 15 of the composer's symphonies from Oct 23 to 28.

On Nov 7 and 9, Rudolf Buchbinder, one of the world's most influential pianists, will join the Staatskapelle Berlin to perform the complete Beethoven piano concertos.

Pianist Yuja Wang will collaborate with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in conductorless performances on Nov 13 and 14, serving as both soloist and musical leader.

On Dec 31, Shanghai Grand Opera House will partner with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra for a New Year's concert to welcome 2027.

Dance: From Chinese classics to international ballet

The dance program will bring together Chinese and international productions.

The Eternal Wave, created by the Shanghai Dance Theatre, will be staged during the season. The acclaimed production is one of China's best-known contemporary dance dramas.

American Ballet Theatre will bring Swan Lake to Shanghai, presenting Kevin McKenzie's version of the classic ballet.

In December, the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg will begin its first Shanghai residency, presenting three literary adaptations: Onegin, inspired by Pushkin; Crime and Punishment, on its first China tour; and Anna Karenina, based on Tolstoy's novel.

Arts education: More than 100 activities

Shanghai Grand Opera House's arts education brand goGO, short for "go Grand Opera", will run throughout the opening season.

The program will include forums, theater tours, parent-child workshops, art film screenings, rehearsal observations, and public exhibitions, offering audiences more ways to experience opera and stage arts beyond regular performances.

Opening season calendar

The full performance calendar is available below.

Source: Shanghai Grand Opera House