Harry Potter on opera stage

İZMİR – Anadolu Agency

AA Photo

The Mozart Academy has adapted J.K. Rowling’s world famous book “Harry Potter” for the opera stage, with proceeds from the production used to help children. 

The Mozart Academy, founded by opera artist İlhan Cinpir in İzmir, made selections last September and gave chorus, theater and dance education to the successful applicants. Eighty students who successfully passed the education have won a role in the Harry Potter opera. 

In the cast, Berlin Komische Opera soloist tenor Tansel Akzeybek plays the role of Harry Potter, Teyfik Rodos plays Professor Dumbledore, Serkan Kocadere plays Lord Voldemort, Nurdan Küçükekmekçi Aydın plays Lily Potter, Christopher Varas plays Severus Snape, Burak Dabakoğlu plays Ron, Bahar Çorbacı plays Hermione, Hülya Şahin plays Professor Minerva and Mehmet Alp Özkazanç plays Hagrid. 

The libretto of the opera was written by Ali Hoca and it is directed by Murat Göksu. The choir conductor is Fatma Cinpir and the choreographer is Alicia Haydee Varela.

The single-act opera, which mainly features sections from the first and final books, lasts nearly 75 minutes. 

The general director of the opera, İlhan Cinpir, said Harry Potter had not been adapted into an opera before, although the material was very suitable. 

He said they had contacted Rowling to adapt the book into an opera, and she gave permission with the condition that its income would be spent for the benefit of children. 

Cinpir said they first got permission for a single show but then increased it, adding, “After a long rehearsal process, a single show would cause disappointment for the children. This is why we increased the number of shows to six.”


The first and second shows were recently staged. Cinpir said they also wanted to perform two shows abroad if they received enough demand.

The proceeds of the shows in İzmir will be donated to Elmadere village in the province, which suffered big losses in the mine disaster last year in Soma. Also, the necessary tools will be provided to the Turkish Library for the Blind to help blind children read books.

Tenor Tansel Akzeybek, 37, who plays Harry Potter in the opera, said he was not a member of the generation who grew up with Harry Potter, but he watched the series after he got the proposal. 

“The children that we act together with know everything about Potter. They show us our mistakes; warn us about make-up.”