The Savonlinna Opera Festival’s guest week begins soon, as The Göteborg Opera arrives at Olavinlinna Castle with around 160 performers and members of its production team. The visit featuresa new production of Verdi’s La traviata as well as concert performances of Bellini’s Norma, in which one of the most acclaimed sopranos of our time, Lisette Oropesa, sings the title role for thefirst time in her career.
The Göteborg Opera’s chorus, orchestra and staff arrive in Savonlinna this week – the sets, instruments and costumes already made their way here by truck last week. On arrival, work begins immediately: the first days are spent building the sets and adapting the production to the unique conditions of the medieval castle. Towards the end of the week it is time for rehearsals, as the guests get to know thecastle’s stage.
The Olavinlinna premiere of La traviata is historic for The Göteborg Opera too
On Monday 27 July, Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata receives its premiere at Olavinlinna Castle in a brand-new staging by Silvia Paoli and conducted by Aivis Greters. The production features two casts: Ania Jeruc and Venera Gimadieva alternate in the role of Violetta, Tobias Westman and Adam Frandsen sing her beloved Alfredo, and Orhan Yildiz and Yngve Søberg appear as Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont.
The premiere in Savonlinna is a milestone for the company. For the first time in its history, The Göteborg Opera is premiering a large-scale opera production outside its home stage in Gothenburg. After Savonlinna, the production will open The Göteborg Opera’s autumn season in September.
“It’s an honour to perform at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and a testament to the artistic standard that this opera house maintains today – across all professional disciplines. Our nomination for ‘Opera House of the Year’ at the International Opera Awards last year further reflects that. I am delighted to premiere our new production of La traviata in this unique setting and to collaborate with outstanding artists such as Lisette Oropesa and Riccardo Frizza in Norma – an experience that will be truly special for both us and the audience, says The Göteborg Opera’s artistic director Henning Ruhe.
Norma brings the pinnacle of bel canto to the castle
The festival summer culminates in Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma, performed in concert on Wednesday 29 July and Saturday 1 August at 7 p.m. The Göteborg Opera’s orchestra and chorus are led by Riccardo Frizza, one of the most sought-after conductors in the bel canto repertoire. The title role – and its iconic aria Casta diva, made famous by Maria Callas and Edita Gruberová, among others – is sung by Lisette Oropesa. American tenor John Osborn appears as Pollione, with Ann-Kristin Jones as Adalgisa and Kristoffer Töyrä as Oroveso.
Lisette Oropesa – “a diva in the old, true sense”
Cuban-American Lisette Oropesa, one of the most dazzling sopranos of our time, is already familiar to Savonlinna audiences: she made an indelible impression at Olavinlinna as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in the summer of 2023. Since then she has conquered the world’s greatest opera stages, from the Metropolitan Opera in New York to La Scala in Milan and Covent Garden in London, and established herself among the true superstars of the opera world. Particularly as an interpreter of the bel canto repertoire she is considered the leading name of her generation – and now she sings Norma for the first time in her career, at Olavinlinna Castle.
The international press has praised Oropesa in exceptional terms. This year The Spectator described her as “a diva in the old, true sense”, while Bachtrack hailed her performance as “bel canto singing to crown a new golden age”. The Observer, in turn, praised her “rock-like security of intonation”. The New York Review summed up what many are thinking: Oropesa is “perhaps the savviest bel canto singer of our time” and “also an outstanding actress.”
La traviata at Olavinlinna Castle: Mon 27 July (premiere), Tue 28 July, Thu 30 July and Fri 31 July at 7 p.m. Tickets from €69.60.
Norma & Lisette Oropesa at Olavinlinna Castle: Wed 29 July (premiere) and Sat 1 August at 7 p.m. Tickets from €54.60.
Tickets and further information: operafestival.fi
Image bank: savonlinnaoperafestival.kuvat.fi
Further information and interview requests:
Jannika Vahvaselkä
Content & Communications Lead
Savonlinna Opera Festival
tel. +358 50 430 4186
jannika.vahvaselka@operafestival.fi
