The Royal Opera House has announced a cast change for its HD broadcast of Puccini’s “La Bohème.”

The company announced that due to illness, Russian soprano Aida Garifullina has withdrawn from singing the role of Musetta in on Jan. 29, 2020 As a result,  the role will be sung by Romanian-born British soprano Simona Mihai, who sang both Musetta and Mimì in this production in the 2017–18 season, sang Mimì for the opening night of the current revival and also sings Musetta later in this season’s run.

Mihai was a Jette Parker Young Artist for The Royal Opera from 2008 to 2010, singing roles including Belinda in “Dido and Aeneas” and Poussette in “Manon.” Since leaving the program she has returned to sing Frasquita in “Carmen,” Poussette, Mimì and Musetta in “La Bohème” and Nedda in “Pagliacci.” She also performed at La Monnaie in Brussels, The Grange Festival, the Bayerische Staatsoper and Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv.

Mihai joins a cast that includes Sonya Yoncheva, Charles Castronovo and Andrzej Filonczyk.