norman lebrecht
June 07, 2026
The mayor of Düsseldorf has torn up years of planning with a decision that the city cannot afford a new opera house.
‘The news came as a complete surprise to us today,’ said Deutsche Oper am Rhein chief Alexandra Stampler-Brown. ‘I and many of my colleagues are still in a state of shock.’
The new building was budgeted at 470 million Euros, but that looks like a considerable underestimate.
‘We assume that the Opera am Rhein will continue to have a home here,’ said the mayor.