Kasper Holten Directs Puccini’s Tosca

The Royal Danish Opera launches its 2025/2026 season with a new production of Puccini’s masterpiece, Tosca, in a powerful, visually striking, and thought-provoking new staging by Holten.

Expertly woven opera thriller
Tosca is a masterfully crafted opera thriller, rich with drama, passion, and desire. Kasper Holten views the opera as a battleground between freedom and oppression. The three main characters—the painter Cavaradossi, the opera singer Tosca, and police chief Scarpia—form a dramatic triangle where love, art, and politics collide.

An opera for our time
Puccini’s Tosca resonates directly with some of today’s most pressing questions: What does it mean to be an artist in an age where art is politicised? And is art ever truly free? Tosca believes she lives only for her art, but is forced to confront the shocking realisation that she has become a pawn in a political game—and must ultimately take a stand.

“It’s fascinating that when you delve into a famous and classic opera like Tosca, you discover how urgently relevant it feels today,” says Kasper Holten.

“At a time when the world is locked in a battle between reactionary and progressive forces, and when political regimes crack down on intellectuals and those who act or think differently, Tosca speaks to us more than ever.”

“Puccini is a master of suspense and powerful, emotionally engaging storytelling. ‘Tosca’ is brilliantly written and constructed—an absolute gift to work with. And it’s striking how directly this opera speaks to major dilemmas of our own time.”

Visually rich set design
Set designer and visual artist Philipp Fürhofer integrates large-scale paintings as central set design elements in Tosca. He harnesses the Opera House’s advanced stage technology to create stark contrasts between the polished facade of power and its brutal underside. Costume designer Anja Vang Kragh has created stunning, intricate costumes that merge historical references with a contemporary perspective.

A strong international cast
Renowned Danish baritone Johan Reuter appears in the iconic role of Scarpia, alongside a strong international cast, the Royal Danish Opera Chorus, the Royal Danish Orchestra, the Danish National Boys' Choir, and the Danish National Girls' Choir, under the baton of conductors Daniele Squeo and Lukas Beikircher.

Tosca premieres on the Main Stage of the Opera House on 31 August 2025.
Read more about Tosca HERE

Creative Team
Conductor: Daniele Squeo / Lukas Beikircher
Stage director: Kasper Holten
Set Design: Philipp Fürhofer
Costume Design: Anja Vang Kragh
Lighting Design: Jonas Bøgh
Choreography: Signe Fabricius

Cast
Floria Tosca: Francesca Tiburzi / Marigona Qerkezi
Mario Cavaradossi: Matteo Lippi / Carlos Cardoso
Scarpia: Johan Reuter / Daniel Luis de Vicente
Angelotti: Morten Staugaard / Kyungil Ko
The Sacristan: Henning von Schulman / Antti Mähönen
Spoletta: Fredrik Bjellsäter / Lukas Noerbel
Sciarrone: Simon Duus / Tae Jeong Hwang
The Jailer: Simon Schelling / Lasse Christian Bach

The Royal Danish Opera Chorus
The Royal Danish Orchestra
The Danish National Boys’ Choir
The Danish National Girls’ Choir