A Song for the Moon

The lonely Mole decides to write a song to cheer up the Moon. The Grasshopper rehearses with his orchestra until they have mastered the song and then one night they give an amazing concert. But why does the Moon look so sad afterwards?

‘My first opera’

A Song for the Moon is based on Toon Tellegen’s book of the same name, a fable about the power of music. Composer Mathilde Wantenaar turned the story into a wonderful ‘My first opera’ experience for a young audience and their parents. It is an accessible yet multi-layered work of music theatre that does precisely what the story is about, namely letting the music move you emotionally.

Making contact

When Mathilde Wantenaar read Toon Tellegen’s book A Song for the Moon, she fell in love with it immediately. “The story appealed to my musical imagination. It deals with important topics such as loneliness, identity, disappointment and friendship. It is also about the power of music and the ability to make contact with one another.” Wantenaar got to know stage director Béatrice Lachaussée and set designer Nele Ellegiers during a workshop organised by ENOA (European Network of Opera Academies), which DNO is involved in. The idea for this children’s opera emerged from their discussions together.