It was on November 19, 1825, that the cornerstone for the Grand Theatre was laid. The construction, according to a design by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi, took eight years to complete.
Subsequently remodelled several times, the opera house was almost totally destroyed during the siege of Warsaw in the first weeks of World War II. The restored theatre was opened to the public 60 years ago, on November 19, 1965.
The Grand Theatre/National Opera in Warsaw. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
The highlight of the anniversary celebrations is scheduled for November 29.
A star-studded gala at the National Opera will feature music by Polish composers – Stanisław Moniuszko, the father of Polish national opera, Fryderyk Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Wojciech Kilar, as well as a selection of popular arias and chorus numbers from operas by Mozart, Rossini, Puccini, Verdi and Bizet.
Internationally-acclaimed singers – Aleksandra Kurzak, Andrzej Filończyk, Piotr Buszewski, and Rafał Siwek – all of whom started their careers at the National Opera, will be accompanied by the Opera Orchestra conducted by Patrick Fournillier.
The gala will be hosted by television presenter Grażyna Torbicka and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.
The event will be carried live by Polish Television and Opera Vision, a freeview streaming platform, where it will be available on demand until May 29, 2026.
Meanwhile, an exhibition of works by contemporary Polish artists inspired by the operatic genre and the architecture of the National Opera is on display at the Okno na Kulturę gallery in the centre of the capital.
Featured paintings present modern interpretations of the history of the National Opera, its interiors and architectural details, displayed alongside costumes to productions of La Traviata, Rigoletto and Halka, according to organizers.
They all portray the place which, raised from the ruins of war, has become one of the most important signs of the postwar rebuilding of Polish culture, organizers say.
Warsaw's National Opera in 1840. Image: Polona, Public domain
The exhibition runs until January 11.
(mk)