The Vancouver Opera is set to open its 2025-26 season with Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

The opera, which is set to open on Oct. 25, 2025, will be shown three times through Nov. 2, 2025. The production, built in partnership with Pacific Opera Victoria, will push the tragedy’s boundaries while staying true to Verdi’s timeless story of love and revenge.

Glynis Leyshon will direct the production with VO Music Director Jacques Lacombe conducting.

Michael Chioldi will sing the title role with a cast that includes Yongzhao Yu as the Duke of Mantua), Nathan Berg as Sparafucile, Emma Parkinson as Maddalena, and Neil Craighead as Conte Monterone.

In a statement, Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera General Director, said, “Working with Pacific Opera Victoria allows us to open our 2025–2026 season with a new production of a masterpiece by one of opera’s greatest composers. Rigoletto is filled with deep, multi-layered emotions, and the powerful voices of our principal performers will make sure that every feeling is felt fully. As the dramatic centerpiece of the story, the father-daughter bond will be sung by the sought-after American baritone Michael Chioldi in the title role, and the award-winning, rising international star soprano, Sarah Dufresne, as Gilda. We are thrilled to have both artists making their Vancouver Opera debuts in this production.”

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