The Bayreuth Festival has announced a cast change for the premiere of “Götterdämmerung” on August 5, 2022.

The company said, “To his greatest regret, Stephen Gould has to cancel his participation as Siegfried in the premiere of ‘Götterdämmerung’ due to illness. The festival management would like to thank Clay Hilley, who will also take on the role today.”

Hilley has performed at some of the most prominent houses in the world including the Dutch National Opera and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He has also performed at the Bard Music Festival, Salzburger Landestheater, Opera Southwest, Baltimore Concert Opera, and Austin Lyric Opera, among others.

The tenor joins a cast that includes Michael Kupfer-Radecky, Olafur Sigurdarson, Albert Dohmen, Iréne Theorin, Elisabeth Teige, and Christa Mayer. Cornelius Meister conducts the new production by Valentin Schwarz.

Gould returns for the final two performances on August 15 and 30, 2022.