Opera in the salons of the Hôtel André

What the night changes in these rooms

By day, the grand salon is passed through. You admire the woodwork, look for the Boucher, follow the flow toward the Music Room and the winter garden. At night, you sit down and stay for an hour and a half. That’s what the evening offers, even before the music: the chance to see an 1875 salon as its owners did, with no one in front of you. The opera is sung in Italian, in a shortened version, by young French artists in rotation, accompanied by musicians from major orchestras. The private tour of the ground-floor collections is part of the evening; the upper floor and temporary exhibition are not.

La Traviata: The Evening’s Program

Meet at the museum, 158 boulevard Haussmann. Doors open at 8 pm, the performance begins at 8:30 pm, and everything wraps up by 10:45 pm. The adaptation lasts 1 hour 30 and focuses on three roles—Violetta, Alfredo, and Germont—with a trio of musicians. Champagne tasting is served “with Violetta,” as the announcement puts it. Seating is first-come, first-served, in order of arrival: if you want to be in front, arrive at 8 pm, not 8:25 pm. The welcome is in French, English, and Italian. The evening is wheelchair-accessible and can be canceled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.

Reviews are positive and detailed. A French visitor describes “talented artists” and “extraordinary moments,” while a Swiss guest calls the evening “well-organized” with “varied intermissions.” An American visitor highlights “a wonderful setting, attentive staff, and exceptional voices.” There is one caveat, and it matters: a Taiwanese visitor in July 2026 found the opera good but noted “no air conditioning during the heatwave” and “chairs too cramped.” I can confirm the chairs. These rooms weren’t designed for rows. In extreme heat, I’d opt for an October or November date rather than a summer evening.

Rigoletto: From Salon to Salon

Rigoletto runs from October 10 to December 12, 2026, with a maximum of 80 participants. The adaptation features five roles—Rigoletto, Gilda, the Duke of Mantua, Sparafucile, and Maddalena—accompanied by piano, violin, and cello, in costumes from a Venetian workshop. The difference from La Traviata lies in the staging: the story moves from salon to salon, and the audience follows. A glass of champagne is served during intermission, followed by a private tour of the 19th-century apartments. Evening attire is required; flashes and video are prohibited. The welcome is in French and English.

Only two reviews, and I won’t pretend that’s enough to judge. Beatrix, in March 2025, gives it 4 out of 5 stars: she finds the staging “disjointed” because changing rooms disrupts focus, but calls the museum “magnificent” and the singers and musicians “excellent.” The second review is five stars, with no text. If you prefer sitting and watching, choose La Traviata. If you enjoy walking through a house at night, Rigoletto is designed for that—keeping Beatrix’s note in mind.

To understand what you’ll see as you walk through the salons, the what to see, room by room page describes the daytime tour, and the history of the Hôtel André explains for whom these rooms were built.

Frequently asked questions