Roberto Alagna has dropped out of Verdi’s “Otello” at the Bayerische Staatsoper this summer.

The Munich theater announced that Alagna has dropped out of the two performances in July and as a result will be replaced by Gregory Kunde.

Kunde is a recognized “Otello” who has performed the role at the Royal Opera, Teatro La Fenice, Teatro Real de Madrid, Teatro Cordoba, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and Opéra National de Paris. He has not sung at the Bayerische Staatsoper since 21015 and prior to that, he performed in a production of “Anna Bolena” in 2003.

Kunde is set to perform at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and Teatro Carlo Felice during the 2019-20 season.

Alagna is currently performing “Don Carlo” in Paris.

Kunde joins a cast that includes Anja Harteros, Galeano Salas, and Claudio Sgura. Adam Fischer conducts the production by Amélie Niermeyer.

Performances are scheduled for July 12 and 15, 2020.