The new opera Innocence tells a topical story about guilt, forgiveness and a sense of "lifelong" due to traumatic events. The National Opera presents the most recent work by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, one of the most performed contemporary composers worldwide. The text is by the also Finnish best-selling author Sofi Oksanen.

The story
An international school is hit by a shooting. Ten years later, the shooter's younger brother gets married, hoping to put this history behind him for good. However, the wedding turns into a confrontation with the past. Hidden traumas come to the surface for all parties and the distinction between victim and perpetrator becomes increasingly blurred.

Innocence had its world premiere at the 2021 Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and received rave reviews. The work shows the far-reaching consequences of violence with the power of a psychological thriller, with Kaija Saariaho echoing raw realism in her music more than ever.

Campaign image: © Marta Syrko

The creators
Australian theater, film and opera director Simon Stone, who caused a furor in the Netherlands with his impressive theater productions for the Holland Festival and ITA (Flight 49, Medea and Ibsen house), makes his debut at De Nationale Opera with his direction of Saariaho's latest work. After Émilie (2010) and Only the Sound Remains (2016), Innocence is the third opera by Saariaho to be seen at De Nationale Opera.

Swiss-Australian conductor Elena Schwarz, an ardent advocate of new music, makes her debut at De Nationale Opera with Innocence. With Dutch singers Lilian Farahani, Lenneke Ruiten, Frederik Bergman and Thomas Oliemans, four audience favorites return to DNO.