Bern Theatre, Opera house and concert hall in Bern, Switzerland
The Bern Theatre is the Stadttheater Bern, a neo-baroque building at Kornhausplatz 20 that opened on 25 September 1903. It is the four-section house of Bühnen Bern, uniting opera, drama, ballet and the Bern Symphony Orchestra, whose more than 100 musicians make it the largest concert theatre in the Bern-Mittelland region. It was modernised in 2015–2016, with structural changes to the backstage and auditorium.
The neo-baroque Stadttheater Bern at Kornhausplatz 20 was built from 1901 by architect René von Wurstemberger, financed by the Aktiengesellschaft Berner Stadt-Theater founded in 1896, and opened on 25 September 1903 with Wagner's Tannhäuser. It replaced the Hôtel de Musique, used for a century on Theaterplatz. Renamed Konzert Theater Bern from 2011/12 and Bühnen Bern from 2021/22, it was modernised in 2015–2016.
The house unites opera, drama, ballet and the Bern Symphony Orchestra, whose more than 100 musicians share the building. Around 400 performances a season run from late August to July, including world premieres, Swiss first performances, matinees and family concerts. The theatre also runs drama clubs, dance projects and premiere classes for children and young people.
The theatre stands at Kornhausplatz 20 in Bern's old town, a short walk from the Zytglogge. The building was modernised in 2015–2016, with structural changes to the auditorium and backstage areas. The season runs from the end of August to the following July; rehearsal visits and introductions to plays are offered.
The building opened on 25 September 1903 with a performance of Wagner's Tannhäuser, preceded by a ceremony by Joseph Victor Widmann in which Frau Berna appeared as an allegorical figure alongside Apollo and the Muses. It replaced the Hôtel de Musique, used as a theatre for a century; that building now houses the restaurant Du Théâtre.
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