The Biel Opera House is the municipal theatre at Burggasse 19 in Biel's old town, the stage on which Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn presents its opera productions. The building stands on the site of the former castle of the Prince-Bishops of Basel; a castle wall up to four metres thick still protrudes into the foyer. It was created in 1842 by converting the former arsenal, whose vaulted hall has served as the foyer since 1935. The Neo-Gothic stepped gable on the Burgplatz was designed around 1860 as a counterpart to the town hall. In 1928 the theatre received its first orchestra pit, and a comprehensive renovation was completed in 1989. Biel and Solothurn have shared a joint theatre company since 1927; today the TOBS foundation unites music theatre, concerts, drama and dance.
The Biel-Solothurn Opera is a three-genre stage operated jointly by two Swiss mid-size cities — one of the few examples of cross-cantonal cultural cooperation in Switzerland.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Biel, Switzerland
More venues in Switzerland
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