Fire in my mouth: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra presents the Dutch premiere of Julia Wolfe's powerful multimedia oratorio Fire in my mouth at de Doelen on Thursday 5 November 2026. Combining a full orchestra, 146 voices and striking visual storytelling, the performance commemorates one of the deadliest industrial disasters in American history.

On 25 March 1911, a fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 workers, most of them young immigrant women. The tragedy exposed dangerous working conditions and became a turning point in the American labour movement, contributing to major workplace safety reforms.

American composer Julia Wolfe transformed this history into Fire in my mouth, a large-scale oratorio premiered in 2019. Through music, historical testimony, projected imagery and an enormous choir, the work explores the lives of the factory workers, their experiences as immigrants and the lasting consequences of the disaster.

Conducted by Brad Lubman, the Rotterdam performance brings together the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Nationale Koren and a creative team including director Anne Kauffman and production designer Jeff Sugg.

Programme

• Igor Stravinsky: Elegy for Solo Viola, performed by Roman Spitzer
• Julia Wolfe: Fire in my mouth (Dutch premiere)

The evening also features visual work by 60 second-year animation students from Rotterdam's Willem de Kooning Academy. Inspired by the music and themes of the concert, their animations will be projected in the ground-floor foyer.

Tickets and practical information

Fire in my mouth takes place in the Grote Zaal at de Doelen, Schouwburgplein 50, Rotterdam, on Thursday 5 November 2026, starting at 20:15. The performance lasts approximately 75 minutes without an interval.

A pre-concert introduction by Maartje Stokkers takes place one hour before the performance in the Van Cappellen Zaal.

Tickets cost between €19 and €69, depending on seating category.

For tickets and further information, visit the official Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra website.