World premiere in Vienna: Srnka's opera Voice Killer about war and spirituality

World premiere in Vienna: Srnka's opera Voice Killer about war and spirituality

Vienna, Österreich - On June 13, 2025, the opera "Voice Killer" by Miroslav Srnka has its highly awaited world premiere in the music theater at Vienna. This occasion marks the first premiere under the directorate of Stefan Herheim. Srnka, a renowned contemporary composer, is primarily known for his opera “South Pole”, which was premiered in 2016 at the Bavarian State Opera.

SRNKA and Librettist Tom Holloway previously worked successfully in Munich, where they realized several orders in a row. The composer describes the move to Vienna as a necessary step in his artistic development. Despite his intensive cooperation in the musical interpretation of "Voice Killer", he will not appear as a director. However, he created an commented score for the director's team and presented his concept in the first conversations about the staging.

artistic vision and topics

srnka emphasizes the importance of freedom of choice for the staging of his works. In this context, he sees himself as a guide that indicates critical places in the musical decipher. His cooperation with Holloway is characterized by open communication and mutual respect, which makes a significant contribution to the development of "Voice Killer".

The opera deals with relevant topics such as mental health and the effects of war on soldiers, which reflects Srnka's interest in human behavior in extreme situations. The music is primarily intended to be perceived as an energetic result, and Srnka deliberately made an artistic cut after the success of "South Pole" to create something unique with every new opera. In this reflection, he expresses ambivalent thoughts about future projects that are planned by 2030 and faces his responsibility as an artist.

cast and orchestra

The characters in "Voice Killer" include a variety of roles: Pauline, a military officer (stratospheric soprano), Ivy (high soprano), Gladys (soprano), as well as a number of other figures, including private, gallo and a spoken role for Momma. In addition, at least 24 singers are intended for the choir in the staging.

The orchestra will have a varied line-up, including flutes, clarinets and various percussion instruments such as Marimbas and vibraphone. This selection reflects the complexity of the topics treated in the opera. Additional percussion instruments such as Waterphones and kitchen skirts are also used to strengthen the atmosphere. The locations include a military camp, a park and a courtroom, which serves the thematic depth of the opera.

The premiere of "Voice Killer" takes place at a time when contemporary works in the opera landscape are becoming increasingly important. According to Deutschlandfunk Kultur, premieres make up only 4% of all performances, but they are crucial for the artistic discussion and the extraction of new viewers. The challenge of reaching young public classes is intensively discussed, with alternative approaches to be challenged in the staging.

The success of "Voice Killer" could give a new impulse for contemporary opera, while SRNKA continues to work on an artistic development that is deeply rooted in social and psychological topics.