Aalto Theatre facts for kids
The Aalto Theatre is a famous building in Essen, Germany. It's a special place where people can watch many kinds of shows. It is home to the city's opera company, called Aalto-Musiktheater, and its ballet company, known as Aalto Ballett. The Essener Philharmoniker orchestra plays music for the shows here.
The theatre first opened its doors on 25 September 1988. The very first show was an opera by Richard Wagner called Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Today, the Aalto Theatre is mostly used for opera and ballet performances. It also hosts concerts and big gala events.
Designing the Aalto Theatre
The Aalto Theatre was designed by a famous Finnish architect named Alvar Aalto. His design was chosen as the best in a competition held in 1959. However, building the theatre did not start right away. Construction began much later, in 1983. This was seven years after Alvar Aalto had passed away.
The inside of the theatre, especially the main hall where the audience sits, has a very unique design. It is not perfectly even on both sides; it has an asymmetrical layout. Also, the seats where people sit are a special indigo blue color.
Music and Awards
Many talented people have worked at the Aalto Theatre. From 1992 to 1997, a conductor named Wolf-Dieter Hauschild was in charge of both the theatre and its music.
After him, Stefan Soltesz became the main conductor from 1997 to 2013. Under his leadership, the Essener Philharmoniker orchestra won a big award. They were named "Orchestra of the Year" in both 2003 and 2008. The Aalto-Musiktheater opera company also won "Opera House of the Year" in 2008. These awards were given after many music critics voted in a survey by Opernwelt magazine.
Later, Hein Mulders took over as the theatre's director. Tomáš Netopil became the new main conductor.
See also
In Spanish: Aalto-Theater para niños
