Opera Rara began in 2009 as a presentation of operas from the 17th and 18th centuries, performed in their original versions. Today Opera Rara is a three-week programme that stays true to its original concept while finding room for contemporary operas. The 2020 programme will feature “Sigismondo” by Gioacchino Rossini, “Vanda” by Antonín Dvořák, “Il ballo delle Ingrate” by Claudio Monteverdi completed with new compositions by Theonika Rożynek, “Enoch Arden” based on a poem by Alfred Tennyson and two contemporary operas - “Weiße Rose” by Udo Zimmermann and “Unknown, I Live With You”, a joint work of playwright Krystian Lada and composer Katarzyna Głowicka. The event takes place during Kraków’s carnival season, and it attempts to capture the festive atmosphere while injecting some high-culture into everyday life.