About the work
"The 10+1 Strings of Captain Ud" is a youth opera (ages 6+) by Dutch National Opera (De Nationale Opera, Amsterdam), presented as a world premiere between 13 December 2026 and 3 January 2027 in the Studio Boekman. The work is created in collaboration with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra; in it, different musical worlds meet. At its centre are Captain Ud and his stringed instrument – the "10+1 strings" refer to the eleven strings of the ud, the Arabic lute.
Plot
Captain Ud plays his music tirelessly, day after day – until an event sets the story in motion. Conceived for a young audience, the piece combines the soundworld of Western opera with the Andalusian-Arabic musical tradition of the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra. Through the figure of the music-making captain and his distinctive instrument, the production tells of the encounter and harmonising of different cultures – child-friendly, sensory and musically diverse.
Cultural significance
With "The 10+1 Strings of Captain Ud", Dutch National Opera continues its series of youth and family operas that open access to music theatre for young people. The collaboration with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra brings the Andalusian-Arabic musical tradition into the opera house and makes cultural diversity immediately audible. Such productions stand for a contemporary, interculturally open music theatre and for the educational mission of major opera houses.