Commission to Sara Glojnarić: Station Paradiso

‘I want to pick up where the history books leave off – to retell the story in all its splendour, humour and realness from the perspective of an insider who understands that very special feeling of being emotionally torn between what we call home and where we are now.’ (Sara Glojnarić)

Croatian composer Sara Glojnarić is creating the opera Station Paradiso for the Staatsoper Stuttgart, which will premiere in May 2026. The libretto is being written by Tanja Šljivar. The opera deals with the history of migration from Southeast Europe to Germany (specifically in the Stuttgart area) and uses music as a powerful tool to express experiences of home, memory and belonging. Sara Glojnarić, winner of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation’s 2023 Composer Prize, brings her own migration history to the work, while also creating a profound exploration of the emotional and cultural significance of music.

For more than a year, the composer has been conducting personal interviews with people who migrated to Germany from Southeast Europe or whose descendants live here. She collects the stories and familiar music of her interviewees in order to explore the question of the extent to which music can be used to construct/define an idea of home(s). This material will serve as the basis for the composition and build an archive of music and memories that documents diverse migration stories and preserves them for the future, beyond the pages of history books.

The commission to Sara Glojnarić for the opera Station Paradiso is made possible by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
staatsoper-stuttgart.de

Dates

May 10, 14, 17 & 24, 2026
June 1, 6, 11 & 21, 2026
Staatsoper Stuttgart