Aalto Musiktheater announces Ruhr region project ‘Ruhrepos 2. 0 27’

The Aalto Musiktheater in Essen has announced the premiere of ‘Ruhrepos 2. 0 27’, a stage project dedicated to the Ruhr region, scheduled for June 12, 2027. The production features music composed by Gordon Kampe, who will also serve as the conductor.

The project serves as a continuation of a historical narrative dating back to 1927, when the city of Essen commissioned Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill to write a piece about the Ruhr area. The new production, directed by Georg Rootering, will integrate selected works by Kurt Weill with new compositions by Kampe. The performance will utilize texts drawn from various aspects of Ruhr culture, including local slang, mining poetry, anecdotes, and recipes, to reflect on the region's development from the mining era to the present day.