LILI ELBE Picker – Theater St. Gallen

The painter Lili Elbe was the first person to have gender confirmation surgery in the 1930s. The homonymous opera is a glimpse into the life of Lili Elbe and her wife Gerda Wegener (also a famous painter) through Lili’s transition at a time when such surgery was still completely uncharted territory. American composer and Grammy winner Tobias Picker and librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman have written the world’s first major opera for and about a person with a transgender background. Commissioned by Konzert und Theater St. Gallen, Lili Elbe, in the tradition of great works of the operatic repertoire, is the story of a love overcoming all obstacles. During her lifetime (1882–1931), Lili Elbe was an internationally known personality. The opera is based on historical sources including Lili Elbe’s own writings, unlike the film The Danish Girl (2015) which is based on the novel of the same name. The opera’s title role is played by the celebrated heroic baritone Lucia Lucas - recently seen at Metropolitan Opera New York, Lyric Opera of Chicago and English National Opera - who also acted as dramatic advisor to the authors. Staged by Krystian Lada, the creative team includes conductor Modestas Pitrenas and choreographer Frank Fannar Pedersen. St. Gallen dance company has a central role in this world premiere. Full performance streamed on OperaVision from 8 December 2023 at 19:00 CET to 8 June 2024: @KonzertundTheaterStGallen CAST Lili Elbe Lucia Lucas Gerda Wegener Sylvia D’Eramo Anna Larsen Bjørner / Mother Wegener / Young Woman Mack Wolz Hélène Allatini Jennifer Panara Claude Lejeune Brian Michael Moore Danish Countess / Dagmar / Matron Théo Imart Marius Wegener Sam Taskinen Christian X / Art Critic / Major Fernando Porta Kristján Jóhannesson Eric Allatini David Maze Professor Warnekros Msimelelo Mbali Young Lili Elias Podolski Dagmar’s children, Aria Pecaj Gustav Seyfert Orchestra St. Gallen Symphonic Orchestra Metanoia Quartet Chorus Theater St. Gallen Symphony Chorus Dancers St. Gallen Dance Company Music Tobias Picker Text Aryeh Lev Stollman Conductor Modestas Pitrenas Director / Sets / Video Krystian Lada Choreography Frank Fannar Pedersen Set collaborator Łukasz Misztal Costume Bente Rolandsdotter Lighting Aleksandr Prowaliński Dramaturg (Authors) Lucia Lucas Dramaturg (Production) Caroline Damaschke Chorus Master Franz Obermair Assistant Director Marcel Orłowski Fleur Snow OperaVision is a freeview opera streaming platform, supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Watch live streams as the performances themselves unfold in the opera house. Enjoy a variety of shows - including opera, operetta, musical theatre, dance, ballet and concerts. Opera connaisseur or curious newcomer, there is something for everyone on OperaVision. WEBSITE: FACEBOOK: X: INSTAGRAM: TIKTOK: @operavision