OPERA NOVA w Bydgoszczy, the largest artistic institution in the Kujawy and Pomorze region, one of the greatest and the most beautifully located Polish opera theatres.
The repertoire of the Opera Nova includes almost 40 operas, classical and modern ballets, operettas and musicals. This is a theatre which, along with the opera canon, presented and still presents the works rarely seen on the Polish stages: "Mefistofele" by Boito, "Manru" by Paderewski, "Rusalka" by Dvořak, "La Gioconda" by Ponchielli, the drama legend "La Damnation de Faust" by Berlioz, "Lakmé" by Delibes, "Falstaff" by Verdi or "Sunset Boulevard" by Webber.
The outstanding Polish directors accepted the invitation to produce the performances in the Opera Nova: Maciej Prus, Ryszard Peryt, Krzysztof Nazar, Laco Adamik, Wojciech Adamczyk.
The Opera Nova ballet company offers the classical ballet works in its repertoire: "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, "Cinderella" and "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, "Midsummer's Night Dream" by Mendelssohn-Bartholody, as well as the moving works of modern ballet: "Fascinations", "Whispers and Shadows", "The Captive Mind", "Stabat Mater/Harnasie", "Alice in Wonderland" which was created for the music of the 20th century composers. The ballet company co-operated with the renowned producers: Jorma Elo, Paul Chalmer, Jacek Przybyłowicz or Robert Bondara.
A particular achievement of the Opera Nova companies is the music productions on DVD and Blu-ray: the opera performance of "Manru" by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, registered for the first time in the DVD technique in the world's phonographic history and acknowledged with the prestigious award "L'Orphée d'Or" by l'Accademie du Disque Lyrique; the opera performance "Rusalka" by Antonin Dvořak, issued to celebrate the 60th artistic season of the Bydgoszcz Opera (2016/2017); the opera performance "Halka" by Stanisław Moniuszko, issued on the occasion of Moniuszko's Year in 2019 as well as the ballet "The Captive Mind" choreographed by Robert Bondara with the music by Philip Glass and Wojciech Kilar (2020).
Since 1994, the Opera Nova has been organizing the yearly Bydgoski Festiwal Operowy (Bydgoszcz Opera Festival) - an international event with the versatile programme form which gives the opportunity to present remarkable opera, musical or ballet performances. The festival's first editions took place in an unfinished, severe opera building. In time, the festival has become the largest event of this type in the country as well as the great promotion of the music theatre. It also led to a breakthrough moment for the functioning Bydgoszcz opera stage since 1956 - it significantly expedited the completion of building the new premises for the Opera. At the same time, the audience has been given a chance to admire many prestigious foreign companies from Europe, America and Asia: the Belgian Royal Ballet of Flanders, Korea National Ballet Company, Swedish Cullberg Ballet, French Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, The Shanghai Ballet, National Theatre Brno, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Latvian National Opera, National Opera of Ukraine, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Lviv National Opera and Ballet, The Moscow Chamber Opera, Sofia Ivan Vazov National Theatre. The festival events hosted the performances of the world-famous stars: Ko Seng Hyoun, Simone Kermes and the companies specializing in performing the music dated back from 1600: "Combattimento Consort Amsterdam" and "La Folia".
Nowadays, the Opera Nova building is one of the best equipped Polish theatre objects. In the upcoming years, the building will be enlarged by the "fourth circle", in which additional halls (chamber and cinema) as well as wide foyer with a wonderful view on Wyspa Młyńska (Mill's Island) and two-level parking lot will be located. The overall Opera Nova building will become an effective and modern architectural piece located in the very city centre of Bydgoszcz directly at the charming bend of the Brda river.