Music Theater

Intro

At Via Berlin, music does not accompany the story. It tells the story. A melody can reveal what a character cannot say. A movement can shift the meaning of a single word. And sometimes, silence speaks louder than either. Bringing together live music, theatre, movement and visual storytelling, Via Berlin draws audiences into deeply human stories that explore the tensions, contradictions and questions of the world we live in.

Founded in 2008 by theatre maker Dagmar Slagmolen and violinist Rosa Arnold, Via Berlin grew out of their collaboration within Orkater's De Nieuwkomers programme. From the beginning, they shared an ambition to create music theatre in which different artistic disciplines are equally powerful, each bringing its own perspective and expressive possibilities.

Over the years, this artistic language has evolved through long-standing collaborations. Many of Via Berlin's productions were directed by Ria Marks, whose theatrical approach helped shape the company's signature style. Later, collaborations with choreographer Pim Veulings brought an increasingly physical dimension to the work, allowing movement and choreography to become an integral part of the storytelling. Set designer Michiel Voet and costume designer Dieuweke van Reij have been important creative collaborators in shaping the visual worlds of Via Berlin's productions.

From intimate human stories to large-scale interdisciplinary productions, Via Berlin continues to explore the boundaries of music theatre. Our work brings together musicians, actors, dancers and designers to create performances in which different artistic disciplines do not merely coexist, but strengthen, challenge and transform one another.

Our productions have travelled the world, from Rio de Janeiro to Russia and China, and from Oslo to South Africa. In 2014, Via Berlin received the Charlotte Köhler Prize for its first trilogy exploring the theme of war, marking an important recognition of the company's distinctive artistic voice.

Explore our music theatre productions below and discover how our artistic language has developed over the years.