Kurt Weill (1900-1950) was a German-born composer who reshaped 20th-century musical theatre by fusing jazz, cabaret, and popular song with operatic ambition. Born in Dessau, he rose to fame through his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht - above all Die Dreigroschenoper (1928), whose 'Mack the Knife' became one of the most recorded songs in history. After fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933, he rebuilt his career in the United States, where works such as Lady in the Dark and Street Scene established him as a leading voice on Broadway.
The 2026 Lotte Lenya Competition Finals were held on 9 May 2026 in Rochester, NY, with Lila Chrisp winning first prize.
Chicago Opera Theater staged the Chicago premiere of Weill's 1933 work Der Silbersee, described by the Kurt Weill Foundation as 'a neglected Weill masterpiece'.
The 34th Kurt Weill Festival ran in Dessau from 27 February to 15 March 2026, with 74 events and over 600 artists at 21 venues under the motto 'In Bewegung' (In Motion).
The first-ever complete studio recording of Weill's Broadway vaudeville Love Life (1948) was released on Capriccio, following a new production by Opera North.
Opera North staged three concert performances of Love Life in January 2025, with BBC Radio 3 broadcasting the production.
