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Montepulciano 2026

Don Chisciotte della Mancia: A New Production Echoing the Original Vision

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Cantiere, the 25th anniversary of the Palazzo Ricci Academy, and the 100th birthday of Hans Werner Henze, the seven universities in North Rhine-Westphalia are collaborating with the Cantiere on a new production of “Don Chisciotte della Mancia.” The production is directed by Michael Dissmeier, who teaches at the Detmold University of Music, with musical direction by Italian conductor Marco Angius, a renowned expert in contemporary music. Students at the Düsseldorf Art Academy are designing the sets and costumes under the direction of Lena Newton, Ruth Groß, and Hans Diernberger.
This new production is a unique, cross-border collaborative effort between North Rhine-Westphalia’s music and art colleges, the Palazzo Ricci Academy, and the Italian Cantiere Foundation, which is responsible for the set design and, together with the Teatro Poliziano, provides a very special performance venue.

This deliberate return to the work that, as early as 1976, symbolized the Cantiere’s new beginning is far more than a mere reminiscence. Rather, Henze’s original idea of a collective, experimental artistic practice is carried forward under the conditions of the present and transposed into a European context. Aesthetically, too, the work proves to be accessible: its open, non-realistic dramaturgy follows an associative logic that allows for diverse perspectives and encourages individual artistic styles. The fact that the vocal parts are based on classical Mozart roles also makes the opera particularly well-suited for work with students. In Henze’s adaptation, this structure is deliberately emphasized—as an invitation to an experimental engagement with reality and
fiction, and as a plea for artistic freedom. It is precisely here that the work, the festival’s concept, and a contemporary perspective converge to form a shared space for discourse. The character of Don Chisciotte, like Henze himself, embodies an artistic idealism that challenges seemingly rigid social and institutional structures. In an era marked by political upheaval, social tensions, and the search for new forms of coexistence, this “ ” momentum takes on a new urgency. The project in Montepulciano thus exemplifies the potential inherent in art that understands itself as a collective, boundary-crossing process: It conceives of artistic practice not merely as a reflection of reality, but as an active force in shaping it—and thus sends a signal that extends far beyond the local context. The performance will be accompanied by an international academic conference to be held in the premises of Palazzo Ricci.

Additional Resources on Henze's "Don Chisciotte della Mancia"

Dates

Performances

Accompanying Program and Conference: July 17–18, 2026

  • Palazzo Ricci/Montepulciano Town Hall: 25 Years of the “
    ” Academy at Palazzo Ricci. Origins, Development, and Prospects. 100 Years of Hans Werner Henze. H.W. Henze’s Work in Italy and His Legacy. 50 Years of *Don Chisciotte*: World Premiere and New Production of the Opera *Don Chisciotte della Mancia* 1976/2026

Revivals

The Ensemble
Gruppenfoto des Ensemble

La Contessa

  • Sujin Kim is a student at the Detmold University of Music.
  • Emelina Medina Martínez is a student at the Cologne University of Music and Dance and an up-and-coming soprano whose talent has been recognized through international awards as well as performances in concert halls and opera houses in Cologne and Aachen. Most recently, she was invited to perform as a guest soloist at the Wuppertal Opera.

La Duchessa inglese, Visit from the Contessa

  • Boyoung Lee is a student at the Detmold University of Music.
  • Luzia Ostermann is a student at the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf.

Conte Don Calafrone, a Country Aristocrat

  • Paolo Mascari studied at the Conservatorio Respighi di Latina and won the 2023 competition at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto.
  • Hyunjun Yang

Don Platone, a country nobleman

  • Jongdoo Back is pursuing a master’s degree in voice at the Detmold University of Music and was most recently seen as Zsupan in Johann Strauss’s *The Gypsy Baron* at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf and as Leporello in Mozart’s *Don Giovanni* at the Landestheater Detmold.
  • Kihyun Lee is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of the Arts Essen.

Don Chisciotte, a knight-errant

  • Nicola Di Filippo
  • Geonmuk Lim is pursuing a master’s degree in musical theater (vocal performance) at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.

Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s squire

  • Jaeyoung Lim
  • Biran Özgür Sariyer is an alumnus of the Folkwang University of the Arts.

Carmosina, the Countess’s maid

  • Stefanie Fischer is in her final semester of her master’s program at the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf, where she most recently appeared as Susanna in Mozart’s *Le nozze di Figaro* and, in previous years, as Calisto (*La Calisto*—F. Cavalli), Bubikopf (The Emperor of Atlantis—V. Ullmann), and Belinda (Dido and Aeneas—H. Purcell).
  • Yewon Lee is pursuing a master’s degree in Lied/Concert at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.

Cardolella, Innkeeper

  • Louka Despina is pursuing a master’s degree in Music Theater (Voice) at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.
  • Seoyoung Jang is pursuing a master’s degree in opera at the Detmold University of Music and took on the role of Vannella in the opera “Lo frate ’nnamorato” in 2026.

Flutes

  • Laura Bersani
  • Jiwon Park is pursuing a master’s degree in flute at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.

Oboe, English horn

  • Riccardo Bancalà

Clarinet, Bass Clarinet

  • Marco Ignoti

Bassoon, contrabassoon

  • Christian Galasso

Drums

  • Merlin Hellenkamp is studying jazz and performing arts at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.
  • Manuel Kreutz is studying orchestral instruments at the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf.

Mandolin

  • Giacomo Giabelli

Guitar

  • Emilian Wagner is pursuing a master’s degree in guitar at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.

Piano, tambourine, small organ

  • Yuna Kim, Shuri Soga

Violin, Viola

  • Ioannis Mageiropoulos is a student at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.

Cello

  • Miriam Steinhardt is pursuing a master’s degree at the Folkwang University of the Arts.

Double bass

  • Baiwang Jin is a student at the Cologne University of Music and Dance.

Press and Media Coverage