Opera Scholarship

The Claussen-Simon Foundation, in cooperation with the Hamburg State Opera and the Institute for Cultural Innovation Research at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre, supports an innovative composition and doctoral project in the field of “citizens’ opera.” Young composers are given the opportunity to design a chamber or site-specific opera within 24 months and simultaneously produce an artistic-scientific dissertation. The focus is on engaging with the historical and participatory significance of the citizens’ opera, which has served as a bridge between the public and the arts since the founding of the first privately organized opera house in 1678. Through professional networking, artistic guidance, and regular exchange formats, new perspectives on urban music theatre formats are created, enabling both integration into the urban space and active citizen participation.

The program is aimed at composers who, as individuals, can present a concrete opera project and simultaneously demonstrate a doctoral project at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. Living expenses are funded in the form of a monthly scholarship of €1,600. A prerequisite is proof of an existing composition commission as well as a cooperative connection to both partner institutions. The application round usually takes place every three years; the next funding window opens on October 1, 2025. With long-term support over two years, the scholarship offers not only financial security but also intensive guidance to fruitfully link artistic vision and scientific research.