Opera Nova Bydgoszcz and on July 2, Offenbach's operetta "Orpheus in the Underworld". "Opera Studio" was renamed on March 3, 1959, "Musical Theatre of Opera and Operetta" (), so as to meet cultural expectations of the inhabitants of the entire Bydgoszcz Voivodeship. A year later, on March 1, 1960, the institution was nationalized. In 1963, the "Musical Theatre of Opera and Operetta" had then its own orchestra established, putting an end to the use of musicians from the Pomeranian Philharmonic. Bydgoszcz musical scene, once nationalised, changed its name several times: "Opera and Operetta" (1964), "National Opera" (1980), "Opera Nova" (1990), and from 1996,
The Mask of Orpheus design the sets and costumes for the opera's premiere. The staging was complex, involving suns, rivers, and a flying golden carriage. Each singer wore (and sung through) a mask. Large puppets were created to change proportion on stage. All the masks and costumes were designed to appear timeless, so as to avoid placing the opera in a specific era. The Mask of Orpheus The Mask of Orpheus is an opera with music by Harrison Birtwistle and a libretto by Peter Zinovieff. It was premiered in London at the English National Opera on 21 May 1986 to great critical acclaim. A