MÜNCHENER BIENNALE
FESTIVAL FÜR NEUES MUSIKTHEATER

08/05—
20/05/2026

crypt_
YURI UMEMOTO

More money, more fame, more art, more life.
In search of “more” – of excess, of abundance – a Japanese composer encounters three ghostly nobles. They put his supposed longings to the test and confront him with what truly matters to him: his faith, his music, his culture, his father.

More money, more fame, more art, more life.
In search of “more” – of excess, of abundance – a Japanese composer encounters three ghostly nobles. They put his supposed longings to the test and confront him with what truly matters to him: his faith, his music, his culture, his father. Between European opera, Japanese ghost story, anime, and artificial intelligence, „crypt_“ weaves together the tale of „Hoichi the Earless“ into a music theatre piece about ambition, identity, and the act of creation.


Broadcast date on BR-Klassik: 30/06/2026, 20:03, Festspielzeit

SAT

16.05.
20:00
— 21:10

world premiere

SUN

17.05.
19:00
— 20:10

MON

18.05.
11:00
— 12:10

More money, more fame, more art, more life.
In search of “more” – of excess, of abundance – a Japanese composer encounters three ghostly nobles. They put his supposed longings to the test and confront him with what truly matters to him: his faith, his music, his culture, his father. Between European opera, Japanese ghost story, anime, and artificial intelligence, „crypt_“ weaves together the tale of „Hoichi the Earless“ into a music theatre piece about ambition, identity, and the act of creation.


Broadcast date on BR-Klassik: 30/06/2026, 20:03, Festspielzeit

Composition, text:

 YURI UMEMOTO

Libretto:

 GARETH MATTEY

Musical direction:

 CHRISTIAN EGGEN

Stage direction:

 IVAR FURRE AAM

Scenographic consulting, light design:

 JAKOB OREDSSON

Costume design:

 INGRID TORVUND

Anime Design, Director:

 KANJI OKAI

Anime Design:

 AKINARI KITAYAMA, KOTA OEBISU, KEI ICHIKAWA

Dramaturgy:

 TAKUYA MAEHARA

Soprano:

 PEYEE CHEN

Countertenor:

 SEAN BELL

Tenor:

 MATHIAS MONRAD MØLLER

Baritone:

 HALVOR FESTERVOLL MELIEN
OSLO SINFONIETTA

Flute:

 ANNE KARINE HAUGE

Clarinet:

 ROLF BORCH

Oboe:

 MARIE TETZLAFF

Violin:

 KARIN HELLQVIST, EMILIE LIDSHEIM

Viola:

 BENDIK FOSS

Cello:

 INGVILD SANDNES

Cembalo:

 SANAE YOSHIDA

Percussion:

 KJELL TORE INNERVIK
Co-production by Münchener Biennale and Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Oslo Sinfonietta, Black Box teater Oslo and KLANG Festival Copenhagen Experimental Music.
Composition & libretto commissioned by the City of Munich and Arts Council Norway for the Münchener Biennale.

SAT

 16.05.
19:15

crypt_: Was gibt's?
Festival tent

45 Minuten bevor der erste Ton erklingt, fragen wir gemeinsam „Was gibt’s?“ und geben Ihnen erste Einblicke in die Musiktheaterproduktion „crypt_“.

SUN

 17.05.
18:15

MON

 18.05.
10:15

crypt_: Tactile tour
Muffathalle

SUN

 17.05.
20:30

MON

 18.05.
12:30

crypt_: Absacker
Festival tent

Im Anschluss an die Vorstellungen von „crypt_“ laden wir Sie noch zu einem „Absacker“ ein und schaffen Raum, um untereinander und mit den Künstler*innen ins Gespräch zu kommen.

WED

 06.05.
17:00
— 20:00

SAT

 16.05.
19:00
— 22:00

Manga und Music
Workshop and premiere visit for young people aged 14 and up
Lights of Art
Muffathalle

In collaboration with LOA - Lights of Art of the Kreisjugendring München-Stadt, we invite young people to immerse themselves in the production crypt_ through a manga drawing workshop and to attend the world premiere together at the Muffathalle. More information is available for download here.

Better together

Going to the theatre alone? You don't have to. We organise joint events for selected performances. After a simple registration process, we meet before the performance for a drink to get to know each other and a short introduction. A host will accompany you throughout the evening, so you'll always have someone to talk to. And it's just more fun together.

Dates and registration