Insider Look
Dive in with (e)me
Keeping up with the Fondation EME
Insider Look
Dive in with (e)me
Keeping up with the Fondation EME
Since the season started, our friends at the Fondation EME have been working hard to make music accessible to some of the most vulnerable groups in Luxembourg’s civil society. Here, we catch up with their most recent news – which includes an exciting addition to a well-known initiative, and a new podcast episode.
For the last couple of years, pOpera has been one of the Fondation's flagship community-led initiatives, at the Philharmonie and beyond. As the name suggests, it’s an opera… with a little extra! From the libretto to the music and the final performance, the key aspects of the production are co-created hand in hand by professionals and nonprofessionals. Some of these amateur participants are refugees, others have lived in Luxembourg their entire lives, and all have a lot of personal stories to tell – which provides the substance for the opera’s artistic contents. In 2024, a compelling documentary film explored the project’s inception and offered a behind-the-scenes look at its first iteration.
To Sarah Bergdoll, the Fondation EME’s General Manager, what makes pOpera even more special are the many obstacles which had to be overcome over the years in order to transform what started out as an idea into reality. Initially called Let It Out, it was originally meant as an opera performance for Luxembourg’s main prison in Schrassig. «When that dream could no longer be realised, we refused to give up», Ms Bergdoll explains. «Instead, we chose to widen our scope, inviting refugees, expats, and Luxembourgish residents to join us. Out of this change, something new and beautiful was born: pOpera. What began as a setback became a new beginning, a shared journey to create an opera together, uniting professionals and non-professionals through music, stories, and the courage to let it out.»
pOpera in 2026
After nearly four years’ work, pOpera is now finalised and ready to take on the Philharmonie’s Grand Auditorium in 2026. «Some participants have been with us since the very beginning of pOpera in 2022», Ms Bergdoll highlights enthusiastically. «They now friends […] We know pieces of each other’s stories». In addition to this much-anticipated performance, the team at Fondation EME is also eager to share another major development, namely the launch of a Social Impact Programme around the opera.
Considering that pOpera’s DNA has always been to invite a wide variety of people and communities to become part of a creative enterprise, it seemed only natural to expand its reach even further. The Social Impact Programme includes a poster design competition in Luxembourgish schools, opportunities to co-create costumes and other scenic elements, as well as storyboard workshops with musicians, Philharmonie staff and members of the wider public. The products of these various initiatives are either intended to be used as part of the performance or exhibited in the Philharmonie’s Foyer.
In 2026, pOpera reaches its peak by including more participants than ever, both on- and off- stage. «To realise that we have truly built a close-knit community, that our goal of bringing people together has been fulfilled, is deeply rewarding», Sarah Bergdoll concludes. As a reminder, the final performances of the pOpera will take place on 23. & 24.04. at the Grand Auditorium. Tickets can readily be purchased here.
Dive in with (e)me
Every month, the Fondation EME’s Sarah Bergdoll invites a special guest to talk about their relationship with music as part of a 20-minute-long podcast interview. Musicians, social entrepreneurs, members of various minority groups… Since the show launched in 2023, many voices have joined Sarah to tell their stories – and we can’t wait to hear more! In fact, the latest episode of the show is now available to listen to on Radio ARA. You can also mark your calendars for the next ones, which are due to air on Radio ARA at the following dates:
- 20.03.2026: with guest Priscila Da Costa
- 17.04.2026: with guest David Laplant
- 15.05.2026
