2025-2026 CALENDAR

Today, the Royal Opera & Ballet in London has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes. Joyce El-Khoury will be stepping in at short notice to perform Hélène, marking her debut in the role.

Speranza Scappucci makes her debut as

Principal Guest Conductor in

The Sicilian Vespers

• Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek make role debuts as Hélène and Henri in Verdi’s rarely performed opera, based on real historical events.
• Runs 19 September – 6 October on the Main Stage
• Tickets from £12 rbo.org.uk

Speranza Scappucci, Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera says: ‘I am excited to officially take up my position as Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera and I can think of no better opera than this to start off with. Verdi is one of the composers dearest to my heart, and The Sicilian Vespers is a monumental score full of incredibly dramatic music, big chorus scenes and intimate moments. Love, political intrigue, revenge, jealousy and redemption: I look forward to bringing this story to life for audiences with the brilliant Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera Chorus and cast.’ Verdi’s rarely performed opera is based on the real historical events of 30 March 1282 when the Sicilian people began to rebel against the oppressive rule of Charles I of Anjou. Stefan Herheim’s production was the first production of the work by The Royal Opera and premiered in 2013 to mark the composer’s bicentenary. Herheim relocates the tale of loyalty and revenge to the time of the opera’s 1855 premiere, in the opulence of the Paris Opéra, the venue for which Verdi wrote the work.

The stellar cast is led by Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek, who perform the roles of lovers Hélène and Henri. All three make their role debuts. The rest of the cast is comprised of Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Jean Procida) and Quinn Kelsey (Guy de Montfort), Vartan Gabrielian (Robert), Neal Cooper (Thibault), Thomas D Hopkinson (Le Comte de Vaudemont), former Jette Parker Artists Blaise Malaba (Le Sire de Béthune) and Michael Gibson (Daniéli), as well as current JPAs Jingwen Cai (Ninetta) and Giorgi Guliashvili (Mainfroid). Gabrielian and Guliashvili make their Royal Opera debuts. Verdi’s grand opera is brought to life by set designer Philipp Fürhofer, costume designer Gesine Völlm and lighting designer Anders Poll with choreography by André de Jong.

ENDS

***

NOTES TO EDITORS

Images can be downloaded here

Marina Rebeka has withdrawn due to illness, the role of Hélène will now be performed by Joyce

El-Khoury and Sara Cortolezzis (3 October). Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono has withdrawn from

all performances, Michael Gibson will perform the role of Daniéli.

PRESS CONTACT

Ruth Haines: Ruth.Haines@roh.org.uk | Head of Opera Press

The Royal Opera

THE SICILIAN VESPERS

Main Stage

19 September – 6 October

Guidance

This production contains depictions of rape, torture and murder

The performance lasts approximately 4 hours, including two intervals.

Sung in French with English surtitles

Tickets £12-£250

For more information and to book, visit rbo.org.uk

CREATIVES

Music Giuseppe Verdi

Conductor Speranza Scappucci

Director Stefan Herheim

Set Designer Philipp Fürhofer

Costume Designer Gesine Völlm

Lighting Designer Anders Poll

Choreographer André de Jong

Dramaturg Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach

CAST

Hélène Joyce El-Khoury/Sara Cortolezzis (3 October)

Henri SeokJong Baek

Jean Procida Ildebrando D’Arcangelo

Guy de Montfort Quinn Kelsey

Robert Vartan Gabrielian

Thibault Neal Cooper

Le Sire de Béthune Blaise Malaba

Le Comte de Vaudemont Thomas D Hopkinson

Ninetta Jingwen Cai*

Daniéli Michael Gibson

Mainfroid Giorgi Guliashvili*

*Jette Parker Artist

Royal Opera Chorus

Chorus Director William Spaulding

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Today, the Royal Opera & Ballet in London has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes. Joyce El-Khoury will be stepping in at short notice to perform Hélène, marking her debut in the role.

Speranza Scappucci makes her debut as

Principal Guest Conductor in

The Sicilian Vespers

• Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek make role debuts as Hélène and Henri in Verdi’s rarely performed opera, based on real historical events.
• Runs 19 September – 6 October on the Main Stage
• Tickets from £12 rbo.org.uk

Speranza Scappucci, Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera says: ‘I am excited to officially take up my position as Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera and I can think of no better opera than this to start off with. Verdi is one of the composers dearest to my heart, and The Sicilian Vespers is a monumental score full of incredibly dramatic music, big chorus scenes and intimate moments. Love, political intrigue, revenge, jealousy and redemption: I look forward to bringing this story to life for audiences with the brilliant Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera Chorus and cast.’ Verdi’s rarely performed opera is based on the real historical events of 30 March 1282 when the Sicilian people began to rebel against the oppressive rule of Charles I of Anjou. Stefan Herheim’s production was the first production of the work by The Royal Opera and premiered in 2013 to mark the composer’s bicentenary. Herheim relocates the tale of loyalty and revenge to the time of the opera’s 1855 premiere, in the opulence of the Paris Opéra, the venue for which Verdi wrote the work.

The stellar cast is led by Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek, who perform the roles of lovers Hélène and Henri. All three make their role debuts. The rest of the cast is comprised of Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Jean Procida) and Quinn Kelsey (Guy de Montfort), Vartan Gabrielian (Robert), Neal Cooper (Thibault), Thomas D Hopkinson (Le Comte de Vaudemont), former Jette Parker Artists Blaise Malaba (Le Sire de Béthune) and Michael Gibson (Daniéli), as well as current JPAs Jingwen Cai (Ninetta) and Giorgi Guliashvili (Mainfroid). Gabrielian and Guliashvili make their Royal Opera debuts. Verdi’s grand opera is brought to life by set designer Philipp Fürhofer, costume designer Gesine Völlm and lighting designer Anders Poll with choreography by André de Jong.

ENDS

***

NOTES TO EDITORS

Images can be downloaded here

Marina Rebeka has withdrawn due to illness, the role of Hélène will now be performed by Joyce

El-Khoury and Sara Cortolezzis (3 October). Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono has withdrawn from

all performances, Michael Gibson will perform the role of Daniéli.

PRESS CONTACT

Ruth Haines: Ruth.Haines@roh.org.uk | Head of Opera Press

The Royal Opera

THE SICILIAN VESPERS

Main Stage

19 September – 6 October

Guidance

This production contains depictions of rape, torture and murder

The performance lasts approximately 4 hours, including two intervals.

Sung in French with English surtitles

Tickets £12-£250

For more information and to book, visit rbo.org.uk

CREATIVES

Music Giuseppe Verdi

Conductor Speranza Scappucci

Director Stefan Herheim

Set Designer Philipp Fürhofer

Costume Designer Gesine Völlm

Lighting Designer Anders Poll

Choreographer André de Jong

Dramaturg Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach

CAST

Hélène Joyce El-Khoury/Sara Cortolezzis (3 October)

Henri SeokJong Baek

Jean Procida Ildebrando D’Arcangelo

Guy de Montfort Quinn Kelsey

Robert Vartan Gabrielian

Thibault Neal Cooper

Le Sire de Béthune Blaise Malaba

Le Comte de Vaudemont Thomas D Hopkinson

Ninetta Jingwen Cai*

Daniéli Michael Gibson

Mainfroid Giorgi Guliashvili*

*Jette Parker Artist

Royal Opera Chorus

Chorus Director William Spaulding

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Today, the Royal Opera & Ballet in London has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes. Joyce El-Khoury will be stepping in at short notice to perform Hélène, marking her debut in the role.

Speranza Scappucci makes her debut as

Principal Guest Conductor in

The Sicilian Vespers

• Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek make role debuts as Hélène and Henri in Verdi’s rarely performed opera, based on real historical events.
• Runs 19 September – 6 October on the Main Stage
• Tickets from £12 rbo.org.uk

Speranza Scappucci, Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera says: ‘I am excited to officially take up my position as Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera and I can think of no better opera than this to start off with. Verdi is one of the composers dearest to my heart, and The Sicilian Vespers is a monumental score full of incredibly dramatic music, big chorus scenes and intimate moments. Love, political intrigue, revenge, jealousy and redemption: I look forward to bringing this story to life for audiences with the brilliant Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera Chorus and cast.’ Verdi’s rarely performed opera is based on the real historical events of 30 March 1282 when the Sicilian people began to rebel against the oppressive rule of Charles I of Anjou. Stefan Herheim’s production was the first production of the work by The Royal Opera and premiered in 2013 to mark the composer’s bicentenary. Herheim relocates the tale of loyalty and revenge to the time of the opera’s 1855 premiere, in the opulence of the Paris Opéra, the venue for which Verdi wrote the work.

The stellar cast is led by Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek, who perform the roles of lovers Hélène and Henri. All three make their role debuts. The rest of the cast is comprised of Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Jean Procida) and Quinn Kelsey (Guy de Montfort), Vartan Gabrielian (Robert), Neal Cooper (Thibault), Thomas D Hopkinson (Le Comte de Vaudemont), former Jette Parker Artists Blaise Malaba (Le Sire de Béthune) and Michael Gibson (Daniéli), as well as current JPAs Jingwen Cai (Ninetta) and Giorgi Guliashvili (Mainfroid). Gabrielian and Guliashvili make their Royal Opera debuts. Verdi’s grand opera is brought to life by set designer Philipp Fürhofer, costume designer Gesine Völlm and lighting designer Anders Poll with choreography by André de Jong.

ENDS

***

NOTES TO EDITORS

Images can be downloaded here

Marina Rebeka has withdrawn due to illness, the role of Hélène will now be performed by Joyce

El-Khoury and Sara Cortolezzis (3 October). Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono has withdrawn from

all performances, Michael Gibson will perform the role of Daniéli.

PRESS CONTACT

Ruth Haines: Ruth.Haines@roh.org.uk | Head of Opera Press

The Royal Opera

THE SICILIAN VESPERS

Main Stage

19 September – 6 October

Guidance

This production contains depictions of rape, torture and murder

The performance lasts approximately 4 hours, including two intervals.

Sung in French with English surtitles

Tickets £12-£250

For more information and to book, visit rbo.org.uk

CREATIVES

Music Giuseppe Verdi

Conductor Speranza Scappucci

Director Stefan Herheim

Set Designer Philipp Fürhofer

Costume Designer Gesine Völlm

Lighting Designer Anders Poll

Choreographer André de Jong

Dramaturg Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach

CAST

Hélène Joyce El-Khoury/Sara Cortolezzis (3 October)

Henri SeokJong Baek

Jean Procida Ildebrando D’Arcangelo

Guy de Montfort Quinn Kelsey

Robert Vartan Gabrielian

Thibault Neal Cooper

Le Sire de Béthune Blaise Malaba

Le Comte de Vaudemont Thomas D Hopkinson

Ninetta Jingwen Cai*

Daniéli Michael Gibson

Mainfroid Giorgi Guliashvili*

*Jette Parker Artist

Royal Opera Chorus

Chorus Director William Spaulding

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Today, the Royal Opera & Ballet in London has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes. Joyce El-Khoury will be stepping in at short notice to perform Hélène, marking her debut in the role.

Speranza Scappucci makes her debut as

Principal Guest Conductor in

The Sicilian Vespers

• Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek make role debuts as Hélène and Henri in Verdi’s rarely performed opera, based on real historical events.
• Runs 19 September – 6 October on the Main Stage
• Tickets from £12 rbo.org.uk

Speranza Scappucci, Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera says: ‘I am excited to officially take up my position as Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera and I can think of no better opera than this to start off with. Verdi is one of the composers dearest to my heart, and The Sicilian Vespers is a monumental score full of incredibly dramatic music, big chorus scenes and intimate moments. Love, political intrigue, revenge, jealousy and redemption: I look forward to bringing this story to life for audiences with the brilliant Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera Chorus and cast.’ Verdi’s rarely performed opera is based on the real historical events of 30 March 1282 when the Sicilian people began to rebel against the oppressive rule of Charles I of Anjou. Stefan Herheim’s production was the first production of the work by The Royal Opera and premiered in 2013 to mark the composer’s bicentenary. Herheim relocates the tale of loyalty and revenge to the time of the opera’s 1855 premiere, in the opulence of the Paris Opéra, the venue for which Verdi wrote the work.

The stellar cast is led by Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek, who perform the roles of lovers Hélène and Henri. All three make their role debuts. The rest of the cast is comprised of Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Jean Procida) and Quinn Kelsey (Guy de Montfort), Vartan Gabrielian (Robert), Neal Cooper (Thibault), Thomas D Hopkinson (Le Comte de Vaudemont), former Jette Parker Artists Blaise Malaba (Le Sire de Béthune) and Michael Gibson (Daniéli), as well as current JPAs Jingwen Cai (Ninetta) and Giorgi Guliashvili (Mainfroid). Gabrielian and Guliashvili make their Royal Opera debuts. Verdi’s grand opera is brought to life by set designer Philipp Fürhofer, costume designer Gesine Völlm and lighting designer Anders Poll with choreography by André de Jong.

ENDS

***

NOTES TO EDITORS

Images can be downloaded here

Marina Rebeka has withdrawn due to illness, the role of Hélène will now be performed by Joyce

El-Khoury and Sara Cortolezzis (3 October). Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono has withdrawn from

all performances, Michael Gibson will perform the role of Daniéli.

PRESS CONTACT

Ruth Haines: Ruth.Haines@roh.org.uk | Head of Opera Press

The Royal Opera

THE SICILIAN VESPERS

Main Stage

19 September – 6 October

Guidance

This production contains depictions of rape, torture and murder

The performance lasts approximately 4 hours, including two intervals.

Sung in French with English surtitles

Tickets £12-£250

For more information and to book, visit rbo.org.uk

CREATIVES

Music Giuseppe Verdi

Conductor Speranza Scappucci

Director Stefan Herheim

Set Designer Philipp Fürhofer

Costume Designer Gesine Völlm

Lighting Designer Anders Poll

Choreographer André de Jong

Dramaturg Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach

CAST

Hélène Joyce El-Khoury/Sara Cortolezzis (3 October)

Henri SeokJong Baek

Jean Procida Ildebrando D’Arcangelo

Guy de Montfort Quinn Kelsey

Robert Vartan Gabrielian

Thibault Neal Cooper

Le Sire de Béthune Blaise Malaba

Le Comte de Vaudemont Thomas D Hopkinson

Ninetta Jingwen Cai*

Daniéli Michael Gibson

Mainfroid Giorgi Guliashvili*

*Jette Parker Artist

Royal Opera Chorus

Chorus Director William Spaulding

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Joyce returns Barcelona for concert performances of Berlioz’s La mort de Cléopâtre and Beethoven’s 9th symphony. Information from the presenter is below and tickets can be purchased here.

“A season opening with what is possibly the greatest milestone ever reached by an author: Beethoven’s Symphony No 9stands out for its incredibly original proposal, which could even be classed as ground-breaking in its original context, with a romantic character that calls upon human beings of all times, united fraternally in the same yearning to celebrate. A specific, immanent feeling of belonging, yet which -as the Orfeó Català will sing in the closing movement, guided by the divine spark that is Schiller’s ode to joy (Freude)- elevates all humans and makes them equal, and transcends their respective singularities.

Ludovic Morlot, chief conductor of the OBC, will head a quartet of soloists formed by Joyce El-Khoury, soprano; Silvia Tro Santafé, mezzo-soprano; Elgan Llyr Thomas, tenor, and Davone Tines, bass. The Lebanese-Canadian soprano is also to take part in the performance of the lyric scene La mort de Cléopâtre, in a concert that will begin with the overture in three tempos (symphony) from the opera Sesostri, re d’Egitto, a work by Domènec Terradellas. Completed in 1751, it was successfully performed for the first time in Rome and, three years later, in Barcelona, his home city. It was the first opera by a Catalan composer to be programmed in Catalonia.”

Joyce returns Barcelona for concert performances of Berlioz’s La mort de Cléopâtre and Beethoven’s 9th symphony. Information from the presenter is below and tickets can be purchased here.

“A season opening with what is possibly the greatest milestone ever reached by an author: Beethoven’s Symphony No 9stands out for its incredibly original proposal, which could even be classed as ground-breaking in its original context, with a romantic character that calls upon human beings of all times, united fraternally in the same yearning to celebrate. A specific, immanent feeling of belonging, yet which -as the Orfeó Català will sing in the closing movement, guided by the divine spark that is Schiller’s ode to joy (Freude)- elevates all humans and makes them equal, and transcends their respective singularities.

Ludovic Morlot, chief conductor of the OBC, will head a quartet of soloists formed by Joyce El-Khoury, soprano; Silvia Tro Santafé, mezzo-soprano; Elgan Llyr Thomas, tenor, and Davone Tines, bass. The Lebanese-Canadian soprano is also to take part in the performance of the lyric scene La mort de Cléopâtre, in a concert that will begin with the overture in three tempos (symphony) from the opera Sesostri, re d’Egitto, a work by Domènec Terradellas. Completed in 1751, it was successfully performed for the first time in Rome and, three years later, in Barcelona, his home city. It was the first opera by a Catalan composer to be programmed in Catalonia.”

Today, the Royal Opera & Ballet in London has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes. Joyce El-Khoury will be stepping in at short notice to perform Hélène, marking her debut in the role.

Speranza Scappucci makes her debut as

Principal Guest Conductor in

The Sicilian Vespers

• Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek make role debuts as Hélène and Henri in Verdi’s rarely performed opera, based on real historical events.
• Runs 19 September – 6 October on the Main Stage
• Tickets from £12 rbo.org.uk

Speranza Scappucci, Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera says: ‘I am excited to officially take up my position as Principal Guest Conductor of The Royal Opera and I can think of no better opera than this to start off with. Verdi is one of the composers dearest to my heart, and The Sicilian Vespers is a monumental score full of incredibly dramatic music, big chorus scenes and intimate moments. Love, political intrigue, revenge, jealousy and redemption: I look forward to bringing this story to life for audiences with the brilliant Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera Chorus and cast.’ Verdi’s rarely performed opera is based on the real historical events of 30 March 1282 when the Sicilian people began to rebel against the oppressive rule of Charles I of Anjou. Stefan Herheim’s production was the first production of the work by The Royal Opera and premiered in 2013 to mark the composer’s bicentenary. Herheim relocates the tale of loyalty and revenge to the time of the opera’s 1855 premiere, in the opulence of the Paris Opéra, the venue for which Verdi wrote the work.

The stellar cast is led by Joyce El-Khoury, Sara Cortolezzis and SeokJong Baek, who perform the roles of lovers Hélène and Henri. All three make their role debuts. The rest of the cast is comprised of Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Jean Procida) and Quinn Kelsey (Guy de Montfort), Vartan Gabrielian (Robert), Neal Cooper (Thibault), Thomas D Hopkinson (Le Comte de Vaudemont), former Jette Parker Artists Blaise Malaba (Le Sire de Béthune) and Michael Gibson (Daniéli), as well as current JPAs Jingwen Cai (Ninetta) and Giorgi Guliashvili (Mainfroid). Gabrielian and Guliashvili make their Royal Opera debuts. Verdi’s grand opera is brought to life by set designer Philipp Fürhofer, costume designer Gesine Völlm and lighting designer Anders Poll with choreography by André de Jong.

ENDS

***

NOTES TO EDITORS

Images can be downloaded here

Marina Rebeka has withdrawn due to illness, the role of Hélène will now be performed by Joyce

El-Khoury and Sara Cortolezzis (3 October). Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono has withdrawn from

all performances, Michael Gibson will perform the role of Daniéli.

PRESS CONTACT

Ruth Haines: Ruth.Haines@roh.org.uk | Head of Opera Press

The Royal Opera

THE SICILIAN VESPERS

Main Stage

19 September – 6 October

Guidance

This production contains depictions of rape, torture and murder

The performance lasts approximately 4 hours, including two intervals.

Sung in French with English surtitles

Tickets £12-£250

For more information and to book, visit rbo.org.uk

CREATIVES

Music Giuseppe Verdi

Conductor Speranza Scappucci

Director Stefan Herheim

Set Designer Philipp Fürhofer

Costume Designer Gesine Völlm

Lighting Designer Anders Poll

Choreographer André de Jong

Dramaturg Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach

CAST

Hélène Joyce El-Khoury/Sara Cortolezzis (3 October)

Henri SeokJong Baek

Jean Procida Ildebrando D’Arcangelo

Guy de Montfort Quinn Kelsey

Robert Vartan Gabrielian

Thibault Neal Cooper

Le Sire de Béthune Blaise Malaba

Le Comte de Vaudemont Thomas D Hopkinson

Ninetta Jingwen Cai*

Daniéli Michael Gibson

Mainfroid Giorgi Guliashvili*

*Jette Parker Artist

Royal Opera Chorus

Chorus Director William Spaulding

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Joyce debuts the role Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s masterpiece, Dialogues des carmélites.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Dallas Opera: “Time travel to 1794 Paris, where France’s Reign of Terror is raging. A frightened young aristocrat enters a convent, desperate to find peace from religious persecution. But as the Mother Superior warns, she has entered a house of prayer, not an escape from reality. Based on a real-life incident, 16 Carmelite nuns-each with her own private demons-must decide if they will live in fear or die together in faith as martyrs on the guillotine.”

Joyce El-Khoury captures all hearts with “radiant authority” (THE INDEPENDENT) as Sister Blanche; “Uncommonly enchanting” mezzo Stéphanie D’Oustrac (JERUSALEM POST) is Mother Marie; Leah Hawkins, the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Beverly Sills Artist, is the new Prioress; and the remarkable Patricia Racette gives “a masterclass in characterization” (HOUSTON PRESS) as the old Prioress.

Joyce debuts the role Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s masterpiece, Dialogues des carmélites.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Dallas Opera: “Time travel to 1794 Paris, where France’s Reign of Terror is raging. A frightened young aristocrat enters a convent, desperate to find peace from religious persecution. But as the Mother Superior warns, she has entered a house of prayer, not an escape from reality. Based on a real-life incident, 16 Carmelite nuns-each with her own private demons-must decide if they will live in fear or die together in faith as martyrs on the guillotine.”

Joyce El-Khoury captures all hearts with “radiant authority” (THE INDEPENDENT) as Sister Blanche; “Uncommonly enchanting” mezzo Stéphanie D’Oustrac (JERUSALEM POST) is Mother Marie; Leah Hawkins, the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Beverly Sills Artist, is the new Prioress; and the remarkable Patricia Racette gives “a masterclass in characterization” (HOUSTON PRESS) as the old Prioress.

Joyce debuts the role Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s masterpiece, Dialogues des carmélites.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Dallas Opera: “Time travel to 1794 Paris, where France’s Reign of Terror is raging. A frightened young aristocrat enters a convent, desperate to find peace from religious persecution. But as the Mother Superior warns, she has entered a house of prayer, not an escape from reality. Based on a real-life incident, 16 Carmelite nuns-each with her own private demons-must decide if they will live in fear or die together in faith as martyrs on the guillotine.”

Joyce El-Khoury captures all hearts with “radiant authority” (THE INDEPENDENT) as Sister Blanche; “Uncommonly enchanting” mezzo Stéphanie D’Oustrac (JERUSALEM POST) is Mother Marie; Leah Hawkins, the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Beverly Sills Artist, is the new Prioress; and the remarkable Patricia Racette gives “a masterclass in characterization” (HOUSTON PRESS) as the old Prioress.

Joyce debuts the role Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s masterpiece, Dialogues des carmélites.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Dallas Opera: “Time travel to 1794 Paris, where France’s Reign of Terror is raging. A frightened young aristocrat enters a convent, desperate to find peace from religious persecution. But as the Mother Superior warns, she has entered a house of prayer, not an escape from reality. Based on a real-life incident, 16 Carmelite nuns-each with her own private demons-must decide if they will live in fear or die together in faith as martyrs on the guillotine.”

Joyce El-Khoury captures all hearts with “radiant authority” (THE INDEPENDENT) as Sister Blanche; “Uncommonly enchanting” mezzo Stéphanie D’Oustrac (JERUSALEM POST) is Mother Marie; Leah Hawkins, the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Beverly Sills Artist, is the new Prioress; and the remarkable Patricia Racette gives “a masterclass in characterization” (HOUSTON PRESS) as the old Prioress.

Joyce returns to Paris for concert performances of Rossini’s Stabat Mater & Verdi’s Messa Solenne. Information from the presenter is below and tickets can be purchased here.

“Two Italian masters, two sacred works where faith is expressed with the power of operatic theatre. Rossini’s Stabat Mater is a flamboyant prayer, intensely operatic, which transforms spiritual sorrow into a true drama of voices, carried by soprano Joyce El-Khoury.

As a counterpart, Verdi’s Messa solenne: an extremely rare early work of which only the Kyrie and the Gloria survive, already revealing the dramatic impetus of the composer of Nabucco and Otello.

At their helm, Speranza Scappucci, an Italian conductor of affirmed lyricism, leads Insula orchestra and accentus—a period-instrument orchestra and a choir of excellence—for an evening of rare intensity.

This concert is performed on period instruments.”

Joyce debuts the role Lina in Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, adding to her vast experience in the Verdian repertoire.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Theater an der Wien: “After returning from a trip, Stiffelio discovers that his wife Lina has cheated on him with the nobleman Raffaele. His immediate impulse is to avenge the deed, but as pastor of a Protestant Baptist congregation, he must justify any decision not only to himself, but also to God and to the people whose role models he is supposed to be, and gets into a deep conflict. Composed immediately before his “Trilogia popolare”, Giuseppe Verdi, with Stiffelio, places such an ambivalent anti-hero at the center of the events that both the censorship authority and the audience were initially overwhelmed by the work premiered in 1850. Also in the 21st. With his partly changed canon of values, Stiffelio’s tornness between what he wants to be and what he must be remains of challenging topicality. As director, Vasily Barkhatov returns to the MusikTheater an der Wien after his interpretations of Der Idiot and Norma, while the conductor Jérémie Rhorer continues his exploration of the undeveloped repertoire of Romanticism after Les Martyrs.”

Joyce debuts the role Lina in Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, adding to her vast experience in the Verdian repertoire.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Theater an der Wien: “After returning from a trip, Stiffelio discovers that his wife Lina has cheated on him with the nobleman Raffaele. His immediate impulse is to avenge the deed, but as pastor of a Protestant Baptist congregation, he must justify any decision not only to himself, but also to God and to the people whose role models he is supposed to be, and gets into a deep conflict. Composed immediately before his “Trilogia popolare”, Giuseppe Verdi, with Stiffelio, places such an ambivalent anti-hero at the center of the events that both the censorship authority and the audience were initially overwhelmed by the work premiered in 1850. Also in the 21st. With his partly changed canon of values, Stiffelio’s tornness between what he wants to be and what he must be remains of challenging topicality. As director, Vasily Barkhatov returns to the MusikTheater an der Wien after his interpretations of Der Idiot and Norma, while the conductor Jérémie Rhorer continues his exploration of the undeveloped repertoire of Romanticism after Les Martyrs.”

Joyce debuts the role Lina in Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, adding to her vast experience in the Verdian repertoire.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Theater an der Wien: “After returning from a trip, Stiffelio discovers that his wife Lina has cheated on him with the nobleman Raffaele. His immediate impulse is to avenge the deed, but as pastor of a Protestant Baptist congregation, he must justify any decision not only to himself, but also to God and to the people whose role models he is supposed to be, and gets into a deep conflict. Composed immediately before his “Trilogia popolare”, Giuseppe Verdi, with Stiffelio, places such an ambivalent anti-hero at the center of the events that both the censorship authority and the audience were initially overwhelmed by the work premiered in 1850. Also in the 21st. With his partly changed canon of values, Stiffelio’s tornness between what he wants to be and what he must be remains of challenging topicality. As director, Vasily Barkhatov returns to the MusikTheater an der Wien after his interpretations of Der Idiot and Norma, while the conductor Jérémie Rhorer continues his exploration of the undeveloped repertoire of Romanticism after Les Martyrs.”

Joyce debuts the role Lina in Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, adding to her vast experience in the Verdian repertoire.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Theater an der Wien: “After returning from a trip, Stiffelio discovers that his wife Lina has cheated on him with the nobleman Raffaele. His immediate impulse is to avenge the deed, but as pastor of a Protestant Baptist congregation, he must justify any decision not only to himself, but also to God and to the people whose role models he is supposed to be, and gets into a deep conflict. Composed immediately before his “Trilogia popolare”, Giuseppe Verdi, with Stiffelio, places such an ambivalent anti-hero at the center of the events that both the censorship authority and the audience were initially overwhelmed by the work premiered in 1850. Also in the 21st. With his partly changed canon of values, Stiffelio’s tornness between what he wants to be and what he must be remains of challenging topicality. As director, Vasily Barkhatov returns to the MusikTheater an der Wien after his interpretations of Der Idiot and Norma, while the conductor Jérémie Rhorer continues his exploration of the undeveloped repertoire of Romanticism after Les Martyrs.”

Joyce debuts the role Lina in Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, adding to her vast experience in the Verdian repertoire.

Click here for ticket and production information.

Theater an der Wien: “After returning from a trip, Stiffelio discovers that his wife Lina has cheated on him with the nobleman Raffaele. His immediate impulse is to avenge the deed, but as pastor of a Protestant Baptist congregation, he must justify any decision not only to himself, but also to God and to the people whose role models he is supposed to be, and gets into a deep conflict. Composed immediately before his “Trilogia popolare”, Giuseppe Verdi, with Stiffelio, places such an ambivalent anti-hero at the center of the events that both the censorship authority and the audience were initially overwhelmed by the work premiered in 1850. Also in the 21st. With his partly changed canon of values, Stiffelio’s tornness between what he wants to be and what he must be remains of challenging topicality. As director, Vasily Barkhatov returns to the MusikTheater an der Wien after his interpretations of Der Idiot and Norma, while the conductor Jérémie Rhorer continues his exploration of the undeveloped repertoire of Romanticism after Les Martyrs.”