Hanover State Opera (German: Staatsoper Hannover) is a German opera company based in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony. The company is resident in the Hanover Opera House (Opernhaus Hannover), and is part of a publicly-funded umbrella performing arts organisation called Hanover State Theatre of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Staatstheater Hannover), or simply Hanover State Theatre (Staatstheater Hannover).
Hanover State Theatre comprises the following divisions that put on operas, stage productions, and concert programs,[1] in addition to maintaining a theatre museum, with seasons running from September through to June.[2]
The International Choreographic Competition Hannover has taken place at Hanover Opera House since the early 1980s, and is the longest-running choreography competition in the world. It is organised by the Ballet Association of Hanover (Ballett Gesellschaft Hannover).[3]
The longest-serving general music director (GMD) of the opera company was George Alexander Albrecht, from 1965 until 1993. The first woman, and first American, to hold the post of general music director was Karen Kamensek, from 2011 until 2014.[5][6][7] The current GMD of the opera company is Stephan Zilias, named to the post in February 2020 following his debut with the opera company in the 2019–2020 season.[8] In April 2024 the company announced the extension of Zilias' contract as GMD through the 2025–2026 season.[9]
