The Grand Théâtre de Genève is the largest opera house in western Switzerland and one of the most important houses in French-speaking Switzerland. The main building, built in Neoclassical style at Place de Neuve, was opened in 1879 modelled after the Paris Opéra Garnier. After a devastating fire in 1951 — triggered by a spark from stage lighting during a Walküre performance — reconstruction took eleven years. The hall with around 1,500 seats was reopened in modernised form in 2019 after extensive restoration. The house produces about nine opera and ballet premieres per season with an international orientation, including regular works from the French repertoire.
During the 1951 fire, a stagehand saved the valuable historic scores by throwing them out a window into the adjacent park.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Genf, Switzerland
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