{"id":108687,"date":"2026-05-13T14:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T12:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/?p=108687"},"modified":"2026-05-13T14:52:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T12:52:16","slug":"theatermaker-mathieu-wijdeven-onderzoekt-het-verhaal-achter-de-eerste-surinaamse-opera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/05\/theatermaker-mathieu-wijdeven-onderzoekt-het-verhaal-achter-de-eerste-surinaamse-opera\/","title":{"rendered":"Theatre-maker Mathieu Wijdeven explores the story behind Suriname's first opera\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does it mean to make an opera in colonial Suriname, shaped by European classical traditions and rooted in Surinamese stories? In Helstone in The Pledge of the Gods<\/em> theatre-maker Mathieu Wijdeven explores what the first Surinamese opera still has to tell us today. Wijdeven's new performance will premiere at Oerol Festival on 13 June.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Campaign image supplied by Theatre Rotterdam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Central to the performance is The Pledge of the Gods<\/em>, the opera Johannes Nicolaas Helstone (1853-1927) wrote in Suriname. Helstone grew up on plantation Berg en Dal and was educated at the Leipzig conservatory thanks to German missionaries. His music moves between two worlds: the European classical tradition and Surinamese stories, rhythms and mythology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this musical and theatrical narrative, Wijdeven explores how colonial history, cultural identity and artistic influence come together in Helstone's work. Together with pianist Djuwa Mroivili and baritone Frank Dolphin Wong, he brings the forgotten story back to life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show will premiere at Oerol Festival on13 June and tour theatres across the Netherlands from September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information on Helstone in The Pledge of the Gods<\/em> on the website of Theater Rotterdam<\/a>.<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wat betekent het om een opera te maken in koloniaal Suriname, gevormd door Europese klassieke tradities \u00e9n geworteld in Surinaamse verhalen? In Helstone in Het Pand der Goden onderzoekt theatermaker Mathieu Wijdeven wat de eerste Surinaamse opera ons vandaag nog te vertellen heeft. Wijdevens nieuwe voorstelling gaat op 13 juni in premi\u00e8re op Oerol Festival. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1285,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","wpai_meta_description":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4761,11917,8843],"tags":[75,15772],"class_list":["post-108687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opera-podiumkunst-2","category-persberichten","category-podiumkunst","tag-rotterdam","tag-suriname"],"views":3463,"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":115191,"url":"https:\/\/cultureelpersbureau.nl\/en\/2026\/06\/het-nieuwe-seizoen-van-theater-rotterdam-de-makerscommunity-trekt-met-9-producties-het-land-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":108687,"position":0},"title":"Theatre Rotterdam's new season - the maker community travels the country with 9 productions\u00a0","author":"Theater Rotterdam","date":"2 June 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A season full of cross-pollination, collaborations and the entire creative community taking to the stage This coming theatre season, Theater Rotterdam will be touring the country for the first time with all the creators from its creative community. 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