König Jammer und Bruder Froh is an immersive children’s opera inspired by the Ukrainian fairy tale “Цар Плаксій та дядько Лоскотон” by Wasyl Symonenko.

DIRECTOR Viktoria Holenok

COMPOSITION Marta Kowalczuk

LIBRETTO Maike Graf

STAGE AND COSTUME DESIGN Pina Bunn & Maja Munksgaard Meedom

MUSICAL DIRECTION Arthur Sebastiano

LIGHTING DESIGN Ellen Bolz

duration: ca. 60'

premiere: 29.11.2025, HfMT Hamburg Campus Barmbek

program note:

In Tränenland, the greedy König Jammer lives from the tears of his subjects. His eternal law is simple: no one is allowed to laugh. Only the brave Bruder Froh ever dared to question him and his rule. But he is gone. Now only his two sisters, Fidele and Froni, remain, keeping the memory of him alive. They constantly sing his Lachendes Lied, and when they one day encounter a group of children who have just arrived in Tränenland, they decide to begin a search. It is time to bring their brother—and laughter—back to the land.

The opera reflects on the power of laughter in times of existential crisis. Can laughter help us cope with loss, loneliness, war, and death? At the same time, the work questions the freedom of emotions: does anyone have the right to judge feelings as right or wrong, good or bad? And how can we prevent our feelings from being taken away from us?

Recording available upon request.

mini opera for soprano, bass, bassoon, percussion, piano, violin, cello, double bass

duration: ca. 10'

Composition: Marta Kowalczuk

Libretto: Stefan Czura after ‘The Beautiful Stranger’ by Shirley Jackson

Direction: Stefan Czura

Dramaturgy: Maike Graf

premiere: 06.02.2025, HfMT Hamburg Campus Barmbek

Recording available upon request.

music theatre

for soprano, actress, cello, baroque cello and piano.

duration: ca. 60'

Team Affekt und Geste: Marta Kowalczuk (composition), Lutz Rademacher (musical direction), Vanessa Könemund (visual design), Hans-Jörg Kapp (direction)

premiere: 13.11.2024, Tonali Saal Hamburg

program note:

What does the heat do to our bodies? In the face of global warming, how can we still sing and make music? And can the Baroque music of the last ice age provide us with some cooling relief? Team Affekt und Geste links the oil-based present with the Baroque language of affects and a text by Ovid.

Mini Music Theatre for mezzo-soprano, 5 actors, violin and piano

directed by Luca Riepe

duration: ca. 15'

premiere: 03.03.2024, HfMT Hamburg

Recording available upon request.

Mini-Opera for soprano, bass, flute, percussion, cello, harp

directed by Christian Poewe

based on Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"

duration: ca. 10'

premiere: 10.02.2023, HfMT Hamburg

program note:

This piece presents a short scene of crisis between a couple who have been together for many years and who, standing at the threshold of death, reflect on their relationship. They recognize that many painful things have happened, which is why they repeatedly speak about separating. Yet, because of the little time they have left, they remain together. The couple even looks forward to a “natural” separation.

At the same time, however, they care for one another and fear this separation. In the end, they realize that despite everything that has happened in their lives, they have, on the whole, been happy together. Or perhaps this realization is only ironic?

opera

theater music

directed by Karolina Okurowska-Wabnic

duration: ca. 30'

premiere: 2019 in Wrocław

Recording available upon request.

theater music

directed by Monika Reks

duration: ca. 30'

premiere: 2019 in Wrocław