Latest Interview: Joyce speaks to The New York Times about debuting Hélène in Royal Opera’s Les Vêpres Siciliennes

Joyce is featured in The New York Times for her role debut as Hélène in Verdi’s Les Vêpres Sicciliennes at The Royal Ballet And Opera.

In her own words, “There are high notes, loud notes, high piano, low chest tones…Verdi is the most theatrical composer, so the descending chromatic scales show her grief, her sorrow and her love.”

David Belcher writes: “The role of Hélène, an Austrian in Sicily, also speaks more personally to El-Khoury, who was born in Beirut in 1982 and emigrated with her family to Canada in 1988 to flee the Lebanese civil war.”

And on what makes this role so personal for Joyce:

“I feel very connected to her character because she’s a fighter, and her voice is a sword…As I study her, I realize that she channels her grief and sorrow and turns it into defiance. Hélène carries the emotional impact of her land, and I feel that I do, too.”

As the New York Times notes, this revival of Verdi’s rarely performed French grand opera is “an important milestone.” With her role debut as Hélène, Joyce El-Khoury will certainly bring depth, fire, and artistry to the stage.

Register for free to read the full article available at the link below

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/arts/music/royal-opera-verdi.html

Les Vêpres Siciliennes runs 19 September – 6 October on the Main Stage

Tickets from £12 rbo.org.uk

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