What Opera Compact does

Opera Compact (Stichting Opera Compact) is a Dutch foundation established in 2018 and headquartered in Maastricht, Province of Limburg, that produces compact-format professional opera in unconventional venues. Co-directed by artistic director Sybrand van der Werf and business director Fenna Ograjensek, the company stages full and reduced operas (Carmen, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Fidelio, Der Freischütz, Rusalka, Fairy Queen, Nachtlied) at industrial sites, open-air castles, pop venues, and care homes, typically performing in Dutch translation with supertitles and with runtimes of 40-90 minutes. Productions frequently fuse classical repertoire with contemporary arrangements — jazz, baroque club, butoh, oriental instrumentation — and address contemporary social themes (migration, identity, LGBTQIA+, AI).

The business model combines four revenue streams: institutional subsidies from Provincie Limburg and Gemeente Maastricht (multi-year 2025-2028), a long tail of Dutch cultural funds (Elisabeth Strouven, Kanunnik Salden Nieuwenhof, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, VSB Fonds, Stichting FSI, and others), corporate partnerships providing both cash and in-kind venue access (notably Sappi and Consortium Grensmaas), and direct ticket sales distributed through partner theatre and festival box offices plus the company's own website. A standardised educational programme delivers seven age-tiered mini-operas and workshops to schools in partnership with Kaleidoscoop Cultuureducatie Maastricht and Kunsteducatie Het Brede Spoor, with explicit fee tiers ranging from €125 (small trajectory) to €1,500-2,000 (large trajectory with artist residency).

The operating model is deliberately lean: a uniform €300/day (2026) and €312/day (2027) performance fee applies equally to all roles including the co-directors, and an intern stipend of €375/month is published. Opera Compact holds ANBI (public benefit) status and has been an SBB-recognised training company since 2021. There is no proprietary software technology; the company's differentiation rests on staging innovation, venue relationships, and deep community embedding rather than on a technology platform.

Name

Opera Compact

Legal name

Stichting Opera Compact

Website

https://operacompact.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Opera Compact is a Dutch foundation that produces compact-format professional opera in unconventional venues across Limburg, serving general audiences, schoolchildren through educational programmes, and corporate/cultural partners via innovative staging of classical repertoire in Dutch translation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Opera Production

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

Keywords

• Opera productions
• Performing arts services
• Music education programs
• Open-air opera
• Youth opera education

Headquarters

HQ city

Maastricht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Revenue from public ticket sales for opera productions and educational performances sold through the company's own website, theatre box offices (Parkstad Limburg Theaters, De Domijnen, Theater aan het Vrijthof, Maaspoort Venlo, and others), and festival platforms.
2. Government subsidies and cultural funds: Opera Compact receives multi-year institutional funding from the Province of Limburg and Municipality of Maastricht (period 2025-2028), supplemented by grants from Elisabeth Strouven Fonds, Stichting Kanunnik Salden Nieuwenhof, Cultuurfonds Limburg, Fonds Sluyterman van Loo, VSB Fonds, Stichting Rosas Donamus, and Stichting FSI. Additional project-based support from Fonds Podiumkunsten, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, and Fonds 21.
3. Business partnerships and sponsorships: Corporate sponsors such as Sappi (paper manufacturer) provide financial and in-kind support (venue access to factory hall), and Grensmaas Consortium sponsors open-air productions. Benefits include brand visibility, positive media coverage, staff engagement, and societal impact metrics.
4. Educational programme fees: Schools and cultural education organisations pay fees for educational mini-opera productions and workshops. Packages range from €125 (small trajectory, single school visit) to €750-2,000 (medium to large trajectories including workshops with multiple sessions). Opera Compact is a CJP partner and works with provincial intermediaries for CMK-funded programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stichting Opera Compact is a Dutch professional opera production foundation that creates, produces, and tours compact opera productions performed in Dutch translation at unconventional venues (factory halls, castles, open-air sites, pop venues, care homes). It also delivers an integrated educational programme of age-appropriate mini-operas and workshops for schools. The company combines classical, baroque, jazz, and contemporary musical arrangements with contemporary social themes to attract both opera enthusiasts and first-time audiences.

Product overview

Opera Compact is a Limburg-based opera company offering a portfolio of professional opera productions and educational programs. Their main productions include full-scale operas such as Carmen, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Fidelio, Der Freischütz, and Fairy Queen (a remix of Purcell's work), often performed at unique outdoor locations in Limburg. Alongside these, the company runs an extensive educational program featuring seven distinct productions: Vrij lief (ages 10+), Vlindermeisje (ages 4+), Fairy Jungle (ages 12+), Van 't padje af (ages 6+), Vrijheid Blijheid (secondary school), Anders, dan anders (ages 6-10), and I Hate Music (ages 6-10). The educational offerings are designed for schools across Limburg in collaboration with Kaleidoscoop Cultuureducatie Maastricht, following an approach of experience, reflection, and action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carmen Iconic opera by Georges Bizet about love, desire, jealousy, and femicide, performed as an open-air production at Equine Park Hulsberg during Cultura Nova 2026 with a 12-piece live ensemble.
• Reinoud de Strijdvaardige Musical storytelling production about Count Reinoud I of Gelre, featuring opera music from Mozart, Verdi, and Wagner, performed at Kasteel Montfort with medieval reenactors and Koninklijke Fanfare De Vriendenkring Montfort.
• Vervlogen Opening-act for Spectaculo Festival Geleen, created in collaboration with 't Magisch Theatertje, exploring themes of parenthood, the empty-nest syndrome, and the soul of the city of Geleen.
• Madama Butterfly Puccini's masterpiece about tragic love between Japanese geisha Cio-Cio San and American naval officer Pinkerton, featuring Japanese Butoh dance, live ensemble with saxophones and Japanese percussion, performed in 2025.
• Euver de grens Musical production in Limburgish dialect about migration and borders, featuring Fenna Ograjensek and Huub Claessens on saxophones and Elisabeth de Loore on piano, exploring themes of displacement and community.
• Nachtlied Opera production inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Chinese Nightingale' about Artificial Intelligence, featuring the finest opera arias from Puccini, Verdi, and Offenbach, exploring the tension between artificial and natural beauty.
• Fairy Queen Semi-opera by Henry Purcell based on Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', remixed by Mark Pütz combining live baroque orchestra with club beats, drag queens, and 3D visuals at poppodium De Nieuwe Nor.
• La Traviata Verdi's most beloved opera in a jazz arrangement by Marijn van Prooijen, performed in the Sappi paper factory in Maastricht featuring Maartje Rammeloo as Violetta.
• De Toorn van Babel Musical production exploring miscommunication between people from different backgrounds, featuring Western soprano Fenna Ograjensek and Eastern multi-instrumentalist Adil Benhsain, with music from Bach, Rubinstein, and Hindemith combined with Oriental sounds.
• Der Freischütz Carl Maria von Weber's opera in a contemporary jazz arrangement by Jesse Passenier, performed at four different outdoor locations in Limburg in summer 2022, featuring local shooting clubs and professional brass ensemble under Enrico Delamboye.
• Fidelio Beethoven's only opera, a manifesto for freedom featuring Marcel Reijans as Florestan and Fenna Ograjensek as Fidelio, performed in reduced chamber ensemble format in Dutch theatres in April-May 2022.
• Rusalka - de kleine Zeemeermin Dvořák's opera about the Little Mermaid adapted for the Grensmaas landscape, performed outdoors at Consortium Grensmaas location with up to 500 spectators, exploring themes of identity and self-acceptance.
• Het Ongehoorde Circus van de Stem Musical feelgood production about ambition and performance, featuring Barnum director Bart Storcken and Swedish Nightingale Jenny Lind (Fenna Ograjensek), combining opera arias with Limburgish music and vocal fireworks.
• Don Giovanni Mozart's timeless opera about the individualist who uses others for his own pleasure, brought close to audiences with young cast, flexible chamber orchestra, and direction by Sybrand van der Werf.
• Ik haat opera! A 40-minute accessible opera performance for everyone who claims not to like opera, featuring hits like Carmen and Don Giovanni, performed at outdoor venues and festivals.
• Vrij lief Musical production for ages 10+ about love and relationships, exploring first love, jealousy, and what 'together' means, featuring Eva Diederix and Tim Stoter with the most beautiful love duets from opera literature.
• Vlindermeisje Mini-opera for ages 4+ inspired by Puccini's Madama Butterfly, about growing up in a foreign culture, featuring Beth (Despina Louka) and Xena (Lio de Bock) with music from Puccini, Poulenc, and Schubert.
• Fairy Jungle Production for teens aged 12+ about sexuality and gender diversity, featuring Chris, Joost, and Annie exploring LGBTQIA+ themes with music from Purcell, Guns N' Roses, Mozart, and Herman Brood.
• Van 't padje af Absurdist mini-opera for children 6+ about self-image and authenticity, featuring Samsa who sees herself as a frog and learns to accept herself through opera arias from Ravel, Verdi, and Django Reinhardt.
• Vrijheid Blijheid Interactive workshop for secondary school students (grade 3+) about freedom, combining music from Beethoven, Britten, and Shostakovich with contemporary themes, facilitated by actor Rufus Hegeman, singer, and horn player.
• Anders, dan anders Mini-opera for children ages 6-10 about being different, self-image, and inclusion, featuring Koby Kopieer who tries to be like everyone else but discovers her uniqueness, complementing the Rusalka production.
• I Hate Music Children's opera about the joy of asking questions, based on Bernstein's song cycle with poems he wrote himself, featuring Barbara searching for someone who knows everything, with music from Ives, Milhaud, Ravel, and Bernstein.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of children reached annually through educational programmes in partnership with Kaleidoscoop Cultuureducatie Maastricht
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Kultkom EupenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2025Kultkom Eupen (Belgium) co-produced 'Nachtlied' (2025) — a production about AI and art inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Chinese Nightingale'. Premiere was held at Kultkom Eupen on 14 September 2025.
• Gemeente BeekdaelenflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2025Gemeente Beekdaelen is the municipality hosting the Carmen outdoor production (August 2026) at Equine Park Hulsberg. The municipality co-produces with Opera Compact, Cultura Nova, and PLT, and facilitates local volunteer participation. Opera Compact performed a preliminary 'Vervlogen' opening piece at Spectaculo Festival Geleen (June 2026) in the municipality.
• Cultura Nova FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cultura Nova is the flagship festival partner for Opera Compact's largest productions: 'Fairy Queen' (2024, De Nieuwe Nor) and 'Carmen' (2026, Equine Park Hulsberg). Cultura Nova provides festival infrastructure, audience, and promotional reach, while Opera Compact delivers high-profile opera productions aligned with the festival's innovative, cross-disciplinary character.
• PLT Theaters (Parkstad Limburg Theaters)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025PLT Theaters is the primary theatre circuit for Opera Compact's touring productions and festival co-productions. PLT serves as both venue provider and programming partner. Opera Compact productions appear at PLT venues (Kerkrade, Heerlen) and PLT co-programmes major events including Carmen premiere (2026) and Fairy Queen (2024).
• De Nieuwe NorflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2024De Nieuwe Nor (pop venue, Heerlen) served as the venue and creative partner for 'Fairy Queen' (September 2024), part of the Cultura Nova Festival. The production transformed the pop venue into an immersive barok-burlesque opera space with club aesthetics, 3D projections, and drag performances. The venue hosted afterparties and partnered with Queer Parkstad for programming.
• Theaterschool De ZuiderlingenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024De Zuiderlingen theatre school collaborated with Opera Compact on the 'Fairy Jungle' educational production (2024), providing workshop input from young people and collaborating on the youth-led creation. The production was premiered during the Zuiderlingen Festival in Maastricht.
• Queer ParkstadminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Queer Parkstad partnered with Opera Compact on the 'Fairy Queen' production (2024), contributing to the afterparty programming (Queer Parkstad afterparty on 7 September 2024) and broader cultural programming around LGBTQ+ themes in the Parkstad region.
• Sappi Maastricht B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023Sappi provided the decommissioned paper factory hall as the unique venue for the jazz-arranged 'La Traviata' (October 2023). As business sponsor, Sappi received significant brand visibility, staff engagement, positive press coverage, and connections with former employees. The production was performed in the Sappi factory under the title 'Jazz La Traviata' with an audience of hundreds.
• Consortium Grensmaas B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2021Consortium Grensmaas was co-producer and venue provider for the outdoor production 'Rusalka - de kleine Zeemeermin' (June-July 2021), staged at the active aggregate extraction site near Born. The production used the dramatic industrial landscape (gravel mountains, machinery) as natural set pieces, with the river Maas as backdrop. Consortium Grensmaas received the Grensmaas Award in recognition of this collaboration.
• De Maaspoort, Theater & EventscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021De Maaspoort (Venlo) is a co-production partner and venue for 'De Toorn van Babel' (2023) and has presented multiple Opera Compact productions. The theatre provides programming, venue, and promotional support.
• Het Productiehuis ValkenburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Het Productiehuis Valkenburg co-produced the outdoor production of Der Freischütz (2022) with Opera Compact, presenting across four open-air locations in Limburg (Valkenburg, Brunssum, Thorn, Kasteel Montfort). The productiehuis provides production infrastructure and local knowledge.
• Opera ZuidcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Opera Zuid (professional opera company in South Netherlands) co-produced 'I hate music!' (2018) with Opera Compact — a children's opera about the joy of questioning, using Bernstein, Milhaud, Ives, and Ravel. Opera Zuid also manufactured costumes for La Traviata (2023) and provided the Huistheater Opera Zuid as premiere venue.
• Kaleidoscoop Cultuureducatie MaastrichtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Annual partnership with Kaleidoscoop Cultuureducatie Maastricht to deliver Opera Compact's annual educational production to hundreds of school children in Maastricht and surroundings. Kaleidoscoop acts as the cultural education intermediary (penvoerder), managing school bookings and CMK funding. Opera Compact's educational productions are also performed at Kaleidoscoop's venues.
• Kunsteducatie Het Brede SpoorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Art educator Marijk Greweldinger from Kunsteducatie Het Brede Spoor co-teaches Opera Compact's educational workshops (Anders, dan anders; Vrijheid Blijheid) on themes of identity, diversity, and freedom, integrating opera with visual arts, language, music, and movement for primary school children.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Opera Ballet Vlaanderen: Belgian opera and ballet house based in Antwerp and Ghent. Comparable in repertoire and production scale, and reachable from Limburg (Kultkom Eupen already partners with Opera Compact), making it a relevant cross-border reference point.
• Het Zuidelijk Theater / Toneelgroep Maastricht: Regional theatre companies/programmers in Maastricht and Limburg that share Opera Compact's home geography and audience pool. Comparable in scale and cultural-politics context, though focused on drama rather than opera.

Direct peers

• Holland Opera: Independent Dutch opera company producing compact, chamber-format opera in accessible venues. Highly comparable in production philosophy (compact formats, regional touring, educational bands).
• Opera Zuid: Professional opera company based in the south of the Netherlands (Limburg); directly comparable in geography, repertoire ambition, and Dutch opera touring. Opera Compact has already co-produced with Opera Zuid (I hate music!, Costumes, La Traviata), making it both a partner and the closest direct counterpart.
• Nederlandse Reisopera: National Dutch touring opera company with a similar mission of bringing opera to theatres across the country and to non-traditional audiences. Directly comparable in touring model, reduced-orchestra productions, and educational outreach.

Emerging players

• Festival O. Small-scale Dutch opera festival producing contemporary and unconventional opera in non-traditional venues. Comparable in size, format, and experimental venue philosophy.
• Opera Spanga: Small Dutch summer opera festival in Friesland producing scaled-down opera in a non-traditional rural setting. Comparable in spirit (compact, unconventional venues, festival format) although smaller and more regionally fixed.

Broad incumbents

• Nationale Opera & Ballet: Largest Dutch opera and ballet institution in Amsterdam; substantially larger scale and venue (Stopera). Operates in the same country and category but with a totally different funding base and audience scope; included because it sets the broader Dutch opera market context.

Others

• De Nationale Opera (DNO Youth / Educational programs): Educational and outreach arm of the Dutch national opera. Not a direct competitor but a benchmark for children's opera programming and school touring; relevant for understanding how Opera Compact's educational slate compares to the national standard.
• Parkstad Limburg Theaters (PLT): Primary venue partner for Opera Compact's touring circuit in Limburg. Not a competitor but a channel partner and cultural infrastructure counterparty; relevant as a benchmark for size and capacity of the local theatre ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaWn9LlCoaXgqxP5-82qeoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Opera-Compact-1797696293873025
• Instagraminstagram.com/operacompact
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opera-compact

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opera Compact