The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic has prepared a diverse repertoire for December, combining classic masterpieces with musical stories for families, a Christmas atmosphere, and New Year’s Eve energy.

On December 1st, at 9:00 and 10:00 AM, the last workshops for children this year will take place: Opera Story – Discover the Secrets of Opera! These workshops introduce children to the world of musical theater, combining storytelling with theater and music. A few days later will also take place a musical performance Karolcia and the Secret of Christmas Night, directed by Rafał Supiński. It takes audiences to a world where magic intertwines with reflection on true values. Performances for schools will take place on December 3rd and 4th (at 12:00 PM), and for families on December 6th, 7th, and 28th at 11:00 AM.

On December 5th, 13th, and 14th, the Opera’s Main Stage at Odeska Street Opera will host the final performances of Rossini’s opera Cinderella, or the Triumph of Goodness, directed by Maria Sartova. This performance, full of humor and charm, delights with its lightness, musical virtuosity, and timeless message.

December is also a time for young talent to showcase its talents on the Opera’s stages. On December 4th at 7:00 PM, the next concert in the Academic Youth Stage series will take place in the Chamber Hall of the School of Music on Podleśna Street. A diverse repertoire is planned, from Bach and Berlioz to contemporary compositions. The concert will be hosted by Anna Krzysztofik-Buczyńska, and will feature students from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music – Białystok Branch.

On December 12th, opera lovers will have the opportunity to attend the Bizet’s Gala, organized to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death. In a concert version of Carmen, leading Polish opera soloists will perform on the Main Stage of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, accompanied by the Orchestra, Choir, and Children’s and Youth Choir of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic. The artists will perform under the baton of Tomasz Tokarczyk. The performance begins at 7:00 PM.

On December 13th at 7:00 PM, fans of opera broadcasts from New York will be able to see Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier. Piotr Beczała will perform the title role of the noble poet who falls victim to the intrigues and brutality of the French Revolution. The tenor will join forces with soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who plays Chénier’s lover, Maddalena di Coigny.

On December 14th, the first performance of the Ope(n)rhymes series will take place in the upper foyer of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic. This is a new, intimate educational series from the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, in which we demonstrate how words in an aria become music, and music becomes a story. This short, lighthearted encounter with opera, led with humor and passion by Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic soloist Rafał Supiński. The program will feature live arias and short anecdotes about how operatic emotion is created – from poetic text, through phrasing, to the soloist’s interpretation. The event begins at 3:00 PM.

Just before the holidays, on December 19th and 20th at 7:00 PM, two Christmas Carol Evenings are scheduled on the Main Stage, featuring Marcin Nagnajewicz’s Little Christmas Cantata and traditional Polish carols and Christmas songs in inspiring new arrangements by Andrzej Makal and Marcin Nagnajewicz. The Opera’s Orchestra, Choir, and Children’s and Youth Choir will perform, along with distinguished soloists conducted by Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk and Ewa Barbara Rafałko.

On December 21st, the Main Stage at Odeska Street will host a concert as part of the Third Stage – Christmas Harmony. This event will feature the most beautiful Christmas songs in new, multi-part interpretations, performed by artists associated with the Roma Musical Theatre in Warsaw, the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok, the Musical Theatre in Łódź, the Entertainment Theatre in Chorzów, and other Polish music venues. We’ll hear songs such as White Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, and Joy To The World, but there will also be Polish accents in the form of songs such as Nie ma nie ma Ciebie (No There Is No You) and A kto wie, czy za rogiem. The concert begins at 5:00 PM.

The Opera’s audience will bid farewell to 2025 in a unique way. The Main Stage of the OiFP will be filled with the energy of the New Year’s Eve concert Classics Meets Latino, directed by Mateusz Stachura. Masterpieces by the masters of classical music will be performed in captivating Latin American arrangements, and the evening will be hosted by Conrado Moreno. The program will include well-known operatic arias and duets, as well as instrumental works by the masters of classical music, which will emphasize the unique character of New Year’s Eve. On stage: the OiFP Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Tomasz Szymuś, outstanding soloists and vocal choir, dancers in spectacular costumes, captivating choreography, and spectacular visuals. The concerts are scheduled for 5:00 PM and 8:30 PM, and due to high demand, additional tickets for both events have just been released.

The December offer of the Podlasie Opera is complemented by an exhibition of drawings by Dymitr Grozdew, God is born… amidst the silence of holiness and earthly joy, which can be viewed in the Exhibition Hall. The exhibition presents a series of illustrations inspired by biblical scenes, Old Polish tradition, and a wealth of religious images, creating a unique complement to the institution’s holiday repertoire. The works will be on display until January 11, 2026 – from Tuesday to Sunday during ticket office hours.

We invite you to visit!