Everything You Need to Know About the Welsh National Opera’s 2017-18 Season

By Francisco Salazar

The Welsh National Opera announced its 2017-18 season, a schedule that features works accompanying certain themes and concepts.

Fall 2018 – Russian Revolution

The autumn season will kick off with three Russian-themed works – “Eugene Onegin,” “Khovanshchina” and Janácek’s “From The House of the Dead,” which is based on Dostoevsky’s book. This segment intents to honor the centenary of the Russian Revolution.

“Onegin” features Natalya Romaniw as Tatyana in her WNO main scale debut with Nicholas Lester take on the role of Onegin. Conductor Ainars Rubikis who will make his WNO debut from the bit.

Both “Khovanshchina” and “The House of the Dead” will be directed by WNO Artistic Director David Pountney and conducted by WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus.

Many singers will take on both operas including Robert Hayward (Prince Ivan Khovansky / Commandant), Mark Le Brocq (Prince Vasily Golitsyn / Filka Morozov) and Adrian Thompson (Scribe / Shapkin).

Addititionally the company will showcase a set of performances of “Die Fledermaus” with Judith Howarth as Rosalinde.

The company will also world premiere Tom Green’s “The World’s Wife” on Oct. 15. Soprano Amanda Forbes will perform the work alongside The Mavron Quartet.

Spring 2018 – Rabble Rousers

In the spring segment, the company will kick off its Verdi trilogy co-produced with Oper der Stadt Bonn that will continue through Spring 2019 and 2020. This season’s Verdi opera is “La Forza del Destino,” with new productions of “Un Ballo in Maschera” and “Les Vêpres Siciliennes” ending the trilogy in 2020.

Carlo Rizzi leads “Forza” and a cast that includes Gwyn Hughes Jones, Mary Elizabeth Williams, Luis Cansino, Miklós Sebestyén, Justina Grigyte, Donald Maxwell and Alun Rhys-Jenkins.

The company will also showcase revivals of “Don Giovanni” and “Tosca” to end its Spring schedule.

Summer 2018

The WNO will world premiere  Elena Langer’s cabaret opera Rhondda Rips It Up!,” the story of the Welsh suffragette, Margaret Haig Thomas, who campaigned for equal rights for women.

The company also announced that it will be launching a fully integrated international opera school at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

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