(Credit: Opernhaus Zürich official website)

George Petean will replace Ludovic Tézier in the title role of Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” at the Opernhaus Zürich on Dec. 30, 2021.

Petean has already replaced Tézier for the performances on Dec. 22 & 26, 2021. No reason has been given for a cast change.

Petean joins a cast that includes Jennifer Rowley as Amelia Grimaldi, Christof Fischesser as Jacopo Fiesco, Otar Jorjikia in the role of Gabriele Adorno, Nicholas Brownlee as Paolo Albiani, and Brent Michael Smith as Pietro. The cast also includes Bożena Bujnicka and Savelii Andreev. Marco Armiliato conducts the Philharmonia Zürich in a production by Andreas Homoki.

The company is currently also performing Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena” with Diana Damrau, Luca Pisaroni, Karine Deshayes, Stanislav Vorobyov, Alexey Neklyudov, and Nadezhda Karyazina. The premiere of Rossini’s “Le Comte Ory” with Brenda Rae and Edgardo Rocha is scheduled for Dec. 31, 2021.

Tézier is slated to return to the stage for performances of Massenet’s “Thaïs” at the Teatro alla Scala in February and March 2022.