Composer Olga Neuwirth's New Opera "Monster's Paradise" to Premiere in January 2026

Described as a "ludicrous satire on the state of the present," the opera explores despotism in the present day and is believed to present a caricature Donald Trump

The Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth has once again collaborated with the Nobel Prize-winning author Elfriede Jelinek to create a new opera, which is believed to be based on Donald Trump. Titled Monster's Paradise, the work is written in the Grand Guignol tradition of graphic horror entertainment.

The plot follows two vampire-like figures called "Vampi" and "Bampi," who are possibly stand-in figures for Jelinek and Neuwirth themselves. Over the course of the opera, they attempt to foil the plans of a despotic tyrant, who is referred to as the King/President throughout.

The commission was partially the brainchild of Tobias Kratzer, director of the Hamburg State Opera, and the premiere performance will take place as part of his first season there.

"Yes, the king has, you cannot deny it, clear traits of Trump," Jelinek told the Austrian outlet News.

"He's modeled on Jarry's King Ubu, which for me is the most accurate depiction of a gluttonous, table-thumping, spoiled child. He always demands an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert — that’s important to him. Of course, literature has plenty of patterns for such monsters — somewhat amusing at first glance, yet terrifying upon closer inspection. One can only portray such figures in a monstrous way, although Trump is nearly impossible to caricature."

 

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Jelinek and Neuwirth last collaborated on an opera some 23 years ago.

Born in Graz, Neuwirth studied at the Academy of Music in Vienna and at the San Francisco Conservatory. She is one of today's foremost composers and has collaborated with a range of prominent ensembles, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the English National Opera, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Her work often has a strong social conscience and is presented in a variety of genres and mediums — including operas, radio-plays, sound installations, artworks, photography, and film music.

In late 2021, she was awarded the University of Louisville's Grawemeyer Award for her opera Orlando, which was based on Virginia Woolf's novel of the same name. The protagonist of the satirical book is a gender-bending poet who lives through several centuries, meeting many of the key figures of English literature.

In 2022, she was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Prize.

The premiere of Monster's Paradise will take place on February 1, 2026, and more information is available here.