The Murder of Halit Yozgat

Ben Frost's opera The Murder of Halit Yozgat is a powerful interdisciplinary work exploring one of the most controversial racist murders in modern German history. Based on the counter-investigation by Forensic Architecture into the 2006 murder of 21-year-old Halit Yozgat in Kassel, the opera examines questions of institutional failure, state accountability and collective memory through music, documentary research and contemporary theatre.

Commissioned by Staatsoper Hannover and presented at Holland Festival, the work transforms forensic investigation into an immersive operatic experience. Frost's score combines electronics, orchestral writing and dramatic performance to interrogate the circumstances surrounding Yozgat's murder, including the presence of an undercover German intelligence officer at the scene, whose testimony became central to subsequent investigations.

Based on research originally commissioned by The Society of Friends of Halit and NSU Tribunal, The Murder of Halit Yozgat demonstrates the potential of contemporary opera to engage with urgent political questions through innovative musical storytelling.

Creative Team
Ben Frost • Forensic Architecture

Collaborators
Staatsoper Hannover • Holland Festival • Forensic Architecture • The Society of Friends of Halit • NSU Tribunal

Dates
May–June 2022 – Holland Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022 – Staatsoper Hannover, Hannover, Germany