Canadian-Greek soprano Andromahi Raptis is in Nürnberg performing with Staatstheater Nürnberg in two of their productions: Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor as Lucia running until January 25 (tickets and info here), and Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus as Adele running until July 27 (tickets and info here).
Throughout her six seasons with the Staatstheater Nürnberg’s Ensemble, Andromahi has taken on numerous roles including Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Sophie Scholl in Udo Zimmermann’s Weiße Rose, Maria in West Side Story, and Musetta in La bohème. Other career highlights include performing the Rooster in Komische Oper Berlin’s production of Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, Elisabeth in Staatsoper Hamburg’s world premiere of Jan Dvořák’s Frankenstein, and the Controller in Jonathan Dove’s Flight with Munich’s Prinzregententheater. Later this season with the Staastheater she will perform Zerlina in Don Giovanni (opens January 20, 2024; tickets and info here) and a Blumenmädchen in Parsifal (opens March 31, 2024; tickets and info here).
This week, we get the inside scoop about what makes Nürnberg so special; including the best place to grab a coffee, the coolest restaurant with delicious farm to table food, and where to find the best Christmas market just in time for the holidays!
City where you’re working?
Nuremberg, Germany. A beautiful medieval city of about a half a million people, complete with castle, city wall, and moat, with romantic little bridges criss-crossing the river in the heart of town. Wagner fans will know it from “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”!
How long are you working on contract?
This is my sixth season in the ensemble! I started basically straight out of school with smaller soubrette roles like Despina and am now taking on juicy leading ladies like Lucia!
What’s the opera house like?
Staatstheater Nürnberg is the biggest multidisciplinary theatre in Bavaria, offering four genres: opera, ballet, theatre and symphonic repertoire. The building itself is from 1905, grand and ornate, and made of beautiful red sandstone typical for the area. My favourite part about working here is the amazing team of colleagues from all over the world – U.S., U.K., Korea, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Italy… It’s special to have stage partners you know so well from years of working together in different shows. My Edgardo, the wonderful Sergei Nikolaev, was also my Nemorino, and we would love to do La traviata together some day.
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Where is the most peaceful place in the city?
My couch with my cats. Ok… well if you aren’t visiting me, then it would definitely have to be the Pegnitz River which runs through the middle of the city. It’s a gorgeous, green 15-minute bike ride along the water to the rehearsal studio, and I often think how lucky I am to count dogs and ducks on my way to work.
Best coffee or tea?
Bergbrand Kaffeerösterei right by the river. Mind you, I am more likely to frequent Die kleine Eismanufaktur a few doors down for some great homemade ice cream. Both shops are located in one of the cutest and oldest streets in Nuremberg, Weissgerbergasse.
Coolest bar or restaurant you’ve been to? I’m spoiled in this regard: etz Restaurant. A fresh, creative perspective on traditional Frankonian cuisine, farm-to-table and nose-to-tail. They have been awarded two Michelin stars, plus a green star for sustainability. But I’m definitely biased, since my partner runs it…
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An activity you have done that is unique to the area? Germany does Christmas markets really well, but Nuremberg is number one. The Christkindlsmarkt glowingly takes over the entire city, sprawling through the cobblestone streets with adorable little stalls with mulled wine, their famous Lebkuchen (primary building resource for the witch’s house in “Hänsel und Gretel”), gifts and crafts of all kinds. My highlight is feeding carrots to the donkeys, goats and camels from the rescued animal sanctuary at the real-live crèche.
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Is there something unexpected that happens locally that you discovered?
Fireworks in the streets on New Year’s Eve. Yes, you read that correctly. Anyone and everyone buys fireworks and sets them off in the middle of the street, which erupts into a chaotic night full of smoke, littered sidewalks and, unfortunately, also sirens… I’m a confused, Canadian bystander every year…
How did you find your accommodation?
I live here! I came to Munich in 2013 to study, and ten years, two degrees, a bunch of shows, two cats and a partner later, here we are!
What’s the most important thing you think of when it comes to finding accommodation as a singer?
Being close to the theatre is key. German rehearsal times are usually in two blocks, morning and evening, with a long break in the afternoon. This schedule is good to rest the body and voice, but it does mean that you are travelling to and from work twice as often.
Have you had a chance to explore some galleries or museums?
The Dokumentationszentrum is an excellent museum about the Holocaust and other events from WWII that took place in Nuremberg and the surrounding area. Be sure to have time to process afterwards, you will need it… The Germanisches Nationalmuseum is always worth a visit to see German and European art and culture.
Is there anything else you’d recommend?
Germany is known for its stunning hiking trails and the Frankonian region is no exception. As breathtaking as it is, I’ll always still miss home.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANDROMAHI RAPTIS
VISIT HER WEBSITE
Ⓒ Bettina Stöß
Adele in Staatstheater Nürnberg’s Die Fledermaus
©Ludwig Olah
Lucia in Staatstheater Nürnberg’s Lucia di Lammermoor
Ⓒjimfeng
Weissgerbergasse
Strauss’s Die Fledermaus
Staatstheater Nürnberg
Nov 25 – July 23
CONDUCTOR Sándor Károlyi/Tarmo Vaask
DIRECTOR Marco Štorman
SET DESIGN Márton Ágh
COSTUME DESIGN Márton Ágh
LIGHTING DESIGN Christian van Loock
EISENSTIEN Joachim Goltz/Samuel Hasselhorn
ROSALINDE Emily Newton/Julia Grüter
ORLOFSKY Corinna Scheurle/Sara Setar
ALFRED Martin Platz/Patrick Vogel
DR. FALKE Demian Matushevskyi
FRANK Taras Konoshchenko
DR. BLIND Hans Kittelmann
IDA Veronika Loy
ADELE Chloe Morgan/Andromahi Raptis
OFFICE MANAGER Teresa Erbe
ORCHESTRA Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg
CHORUS Chor des Staatstheater Nürnberg
Happy is the person who forgets what cannot be changed? If it just could be that easy! Dr. Falke cannot forget the shame that was inflicted on him years ago and enjoys staging his “Revenge of the Bat”. Instead of going to prison, she takes the reindeer Eisenstein to Prince Orlowsky’s ball, where champagne reigns and the guests not only deceive their counterparts, but also themselves.
Johann Strauss happily exposes the wishes and dreams of the bourgeoisie. And since he does it in a very humorous way and strings one musical hit after another, it’s not difficult to laugh at yourself. “Happy is he who forgets” – nothing has changed since the premiere.
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