Drawing on decades of experience behind the scenes at some of Europe's leading opera houses, Sebastian answers some of the questions he is asked most often and reflects on what opera can still teach us about listening, collaboration, craftsmanship, storytelling and community.

What makes a country of ten million one of Europe's great operatic landscapes? This new episode explores four centuries of the form with Jiří Heřman of the National Theatre Brno and the Janáček Brno Festival and stage director Barbora Horáková Joly — on repertoire, identity, funding and what comes next.

Revolution, independence and a legendary opera house: this episode explores how Belgium built one of Europe's most distinctive operatic cultures. General and artistic director Christina Scheppelmann and composer Iain Bell join Sebastian F. Schwarz to discuss La Monnaie today, the world premiere of Medusa and the challenges of creating new opera in the 21st century.

From its origins under the Sun King, opera in France was a project of the state, but today its future is also being written in the regions. In this episode, Valérie Chevalier from Montpellier and baritone Stéphane Degout join us to discuss the modern challenges of regional funding, reaching new audiences through video games, and the distinct identity of the French vocal style.

A distinct operatic landscape takes shape between country-house tradition and public service. In this new episode, Gus Christie from Glyndebourne and Adele Thomas from Welsh National Opera trace the British operatic path via Purcell and Handel to 21st century questions of funding, access and cultural memory.

With its edgy originality, Poland's opera scene has long been a space to explore identity and innovation. Join Borys Kudlička, Olga Pasichnyk and Sir David Pountney as they dive into a landscape where Moniuszko’s folklore, Szymanowski’s mysticism, and the viral modernity of Dorian Gray contribute to one of Europe’s most vibrant operatic ecosystems.