Photo credit: Marty Sohl

The Greek National Opera (GNO) will present the Greek premiere of Sir David McVicar’s production of Cherubini’s “Medea” starring soprano Anna Pirozzi.

Alongside Pirozzi is bass-baritone Yanni Yannissis as Creon, soprano Vassiliki Karayanni as Glauce, tenor Giorgio Berrugi singing the role of Jason, mezzo-soprano Nefeli Kotseli as Neris, bass Nikolas Douros as the Captain of the Guard, soprano Despoina Skarlatou as the First Maid, and mezzo-soprano Martha Sotiriou in the role of the Second Maid. Philippe Auguin conducts the Greek National Orchestra with Jonathon Loy as the revival director.

The opera will be the highlight performance of GNO’s centennial tribute to Maria Callas. Artistic Director Giorgos Koumendakis remarked in a press release that, “Medea is a carefully considered choice – an opera supremely connected to Greece not only because it is based on the ancient Euripidean tragedy, but also because the performance given by Maria Callas as part of the GNO production at Epidaurus in 1961 is regarded as a momentous landmark in contemporary Greek culture. And it is no accident that we have chosen to present this work in 2023, the year in which we will be celebrating the Maria Callas centennial – one hundred years since the greatest opera singer of all time was born.”

This is the first co-production between the GNO, The Metropolitan Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, and the  Lyric Opera of Chicago. All performances will be held at Stavros Niarchos Hall throughout April and May.