Rehearsals have begun for “The Monster’s Voice: An Opera Inspired by Europa Europa by Sally Perel and Agnieszka Holland” – an opera directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska. The world premiere will take place this June at the Malta Festival.

Rehearsals for “The Monster’s Voice” have begun at the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk. This opera is one of the most important premieres in the 2025 programme of the 35th edition of the Malta Festival in Poznań. The production was commissioned by the Malta Festival in co-production with the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk and the National Centre for Culture, and will be presented on June 27 and 28 at Aula Artis in Poznań as the event that will conclude not only the festival, but also the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The opera is directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska, one of the most renowned Polish film directors, known for her award-winning films “The Silent Twins”, “The Lure”, and “Fugue”. Smoczyńska has long worked at the intersection of auteur cinema, genre storytelling, and artistic experimentation. The libretto was written by Robert Bolesto, screenwriter of “The Last Family”, “Hardkor Disko”, and “The Lure”. The music was composed by Alek Nowak – one of Poland’s most outstanding contemporary composers, known for works such as “A Tale of the Heart”, “I, Şeküre”, and “ahat-ilī – Sister of Gods”. The scenography is by Jagna Dobesz, winner of the European Film Award and the Polish Film Award (Eagle) for her work on “The Girl with the Needle” by Magnus von Horn, and co-designer of the Oscar-winning “Ida” by Paweł Pawlikowski.

The opera draws inspiration from Agnieszka Holland’s film “Europa Europa” and the dramatic biography of Solomon Perel – a Jewish boy who, during WWII, had to hide his identity in order to survive, even while living within the Hitler Youth. The creators translate this story into a mythological realm – inhabited by Medusas, Erinyes, and Hades – building an allegory of contemporary experiences of exclusion, concealment, and the desperate will to live.

–  This is the story of a person who, under threat of death, can never reveal the truth about themselves. They must hide or disguise who they are. Constantly observing everything and everyone, they trust no one. In the end, at the cost of their life, they become ‘no one’, says Alek Nowak. We move this contemporary story into the realm of myth to reach the sources of fear, hatred, and love – searching for a timeless truth about humanity, adds Agnieszka Smoczyńska.

The visual side of the production is developed by Jagna Dobesz (set design), Katarzyna Lewińska (costume design), known for her work with Agnieszka Holland, Andrzej Wajda, and Małgorzata Szumowska; Natan Berkowicz, a regular collaborator of top Polish theatre directors including Krystian Lupa and Jan Klata, responsible for multimedia projections; Aleksandr Prowaliński (lighting design); and Tomasz Wygoda (choreography). The lead role will be performed by countertenor Jan Jakub Monowid, with the orchestra conducted by Yaroslav Shemet, music director of the Baltic Opera.

Alek Nowak’s score is deeply moving and brilliantly orchestrated – rich in colour, tension, and contrast, and at the same time very emotional. This will be a significant moment, also for us in Gdańsk, emphasises Yaroslav Shemet, who has previously premiered other works by Nowak, but is working on one of his operas for the first time.

Following its world premiere at the Malta Festival, “The Monster’s Voice” will be performed on July 12 as part of the Baltic Opera Festival in Gdańsk, and later this autumn at the Eufonie Festival in Warsaw.

“The Monster’s Voice: An Opera Inspired by Europa Europa by Sally Perel and Agnieszka Holland” is one of two stage productions at the Malta Festival this year based on Holland’s work. The second is “A Woman Alone”, directed by Anna Smolar – a co-production between Malta and the Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw. Both events will culminate in a conversation with the directors, hosted by Michał Merczyński on Saturday, June 28. Merczyński is the curator of the Malta projects exploring the work of Agnieszka Holland.

Agnieszka Holland is a fearless artist, always standing on the side of humanity – both on film sets and in life. Her social engagement, strength, uncompromising choices, and emotionally powerful artistic voice are incredibly important to me. A few years ago, I supported the making of the sadly still-relevant “Green Border”, and today, as part of Malta Festival, I’m proud to present new interpretations of powerful and profoundly contemporary works by one of Poland’s greatest directors – a wise, brave woman whose friendship I deeply value, says Dominika Kulczyk, patron of the Malta Festival.

The 35th anniversary edition of the Malta Festival is an event for every kind of audience – this year, with a special focus on screen culture. The programme will highlight the screenplay as an art form, exploring the relationship between cinema and theatre. It will also celebrate the craft of costume-making, with a spotlight on the artistry behind costume design. A highlight of the first festival weekend will be the extraordinary performance by Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton and art historian Olivier Saillard. In “Embodying Pasolini”, they pay tribute to the legendary Italian director, philosopher, and provocateur Pier Paolo Pasolini. Nearly thirty original costumes from Pasolini’s films will appear on stage, treated as living works of art – archives of emotion, memory, and characters from the silver screen.