Dates

13 – 21 March 2026

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

TBA

Tickets

TBA

Vrouw met wit masker over hele gezicht en zwarte haren tegen een oranje achtergrond
Photo: Hugo Thomassen

A musical journey through your most important memories

What happens in the final seconds before you disappear forever? This intriguing question forms the basis of a new music theatre work by Meriç Artaç. The main protagonist, Mariza, suddenly finds herself in a twilight zone between the life she knew and an unfathomable future. 

This contemporary requiem offers a poetic and multi-layered perspective on the transition between life and death. With this work, Meriç Artaç makes her composition debut at Dutch National Opera. The production is directed by Silvia Costa, one of today’s most sought-after young directors. 

A contemporary requiem full of emotion and mystery

The requiem originated in the church as a sung mass for the dead. Over time, it evolved into a music genre in its own right. Each year, the November Music Festival in Den Bosch invites a contemporary composer to write a new work inspired by this musical tradition: the Bosch Requiem. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Opera Forward Festival (OFF), the two festivals have joined forces to commission Meriç Artaç. The work will have its world premiere in concert form—without elaborate sets, costumes or staging—at November Music, before being presented as a music theatre production at OFF. 

Poetic and multi-layered

Meriç Artaç has a deep passion for multidisciplinary work and has composed several operas and music theatre pieces, including Madam Koo and The Arrival of Mr. Z. The stage direction is by Silvia Costa, who has rapidly built an impressive career in the international opera world. Her ability to create poetic and multi-layered productions has made her a highly sought-after director. 

Ticket sales start

Ticket sales for Requiem start on 28 August 2025 at 12 noon. Don’t want to miss this on-sale moment? Sign up for our ticket alert and receive a notification when ticket sales open.

Performance information

Staged world premiere

Music and libretto  Meriç Artaç

Musical direction  Sora Elisabeth Lee
Stage direction  Silvia Costa
Video design  Lorem AI / Francesco D’Abbraccio
Collaboration to set design  Davis Hart
Dramaturgy  Jasmijn van Wijnen

New European Ensemble

Chorus of Dutch National Opera
Chorus master  Edward Ananian-Cooper

In collaboration with November Music

Order tickets

Ticket sales for Requiem start on 28 August 2025 at 12 noon. Don’t want to miss this on-sale moment? Sign up for our ticket alert and receive a notification when ticket sales open.

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Michel van der Aa and Meriç Artaç

Revitalising the established repertoire

Michel van der Aa and Meriç Artaç on their new operas

This special anniversary edition of OFF features new works by composers from the rich Dutch music scene. Michel van der Aa presents his latest opera, Theory of Flames, while Meriç Artaç's new music theatre piece, Requiem, will also have its premiere.