On Sept. 11, just over 50 members of the Bilbao Opera Chorus staged a performance from the balconies and windows of the Hotel Carlton, drawing dozens of people to Plaza Elíptica. The event commemorated the centenary of the historic hotel and welcomed the 75th season of ABAO Bilbao Opera. The performance, organized by the Hotel Carlton and ABAO Bilbao Opera, {…}
ABAO Bilbao Opera and the University of Deusto have signed a collaboration agreement extending access to opera programming, training, and cultural activities for the university’s students, staff, and community. Under the agreement, the University of Deusto will offer ABAO members benefits to support their participation in educational activities run by DeustoBide, the university’s citizenship school. ABAO will in turn offer {…}
The company ABAO-Bilbao Opera closed its 2025-26 season with Giordano’s masterpiece “Andrea Chénier.” A luxury cast was led by opera star Michael Fabiano, alongside the rising Spanish soprano Saioa Hernández and the extraordinary baritone Juan Jesús Rodríguez. A co-production between ABAO and the Festival de Peralada, it presented beautiful and meaningful sets and costumes designed by Ricardo Sánchez Cuerda and {…}
On May 23, the Bilbao Opera is set to close its 74th season with Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier.” The work will be performed through June 1 for four performances with Michael Fabiano singing the title role, alongside Saioa Hernández as Maddalena di Coigny. Juan Jesús Rodríguez rounds out the cast of leads in the role of Carlo Gérard. The cast will {…}
The ABAO Bilbao Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. Opera Jessica Pratt, Javier Camarena, and Gabriele Viviani star in Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Francesco Ivan Ciampa conducts the production by Mario Pontiggia. Performance Dates: Oct. 17-26, 2026 Andrzej Filończyk, Leonor Bonilla, Santiago Ballerini, Sabrina Gárdez, and José Manuel Díaz star in Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” Pedro Bartolomé conducts the production {…}
ABAO Bilbao Opera has announced the winners of its eighth Ópera XXI Awards. The awards recognize the finest artists, professionals, and institutions in Spanish lyric opera during the 2024–2025 season. Canarian tenor Jorge de León claimed the award for Best Male Singer for his portrayal of the title role in Verdi’s “Otello,” which closed ABAO’s 2024–25 season in May 2025. {…}
ABAO-Bilbao opened 2026 with a production a Massenet’s masterpiece, “Werther,” with the Spanish tenor Celso Albelo stepping in after the sudden cancelation of the tenor cast for this role. The stage director Rosetta Cucchi presented a metaphorical production with showed hyperrealistic sets: like the living room at the first act or the library on the second act with symbolic elements {…}
The ABAO Bilbao Opera and the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra (BOS) have signed a collaboration agreement that consolidates and updates a historic artistic relationship between the two institutions. The agreement notes that the ABAO Bilbao Opera designates the BOS as the Principal Orchestra for its opera seasons and is a recognition of the continuous collaboration that both institutions have maintained since {…}
The ABAO Bilbao Opera is set to present Massenet’s “Werther.” The opera will be presented in a production by Rosetta Cucchi and Carlo Montanaro will conduct the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa. Tenor Celso Albelo will star in the title role with mezzo-soprano Annalisa Stroppa as Charlotte. Àngel Òdena will star as Albert and Lucía Iglesias as Sophie. The cast will be rounded {…}
The ABAO Bilbao Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Werther.” The company said that Celso Albelo will sing the title role. He replaces Stephen Costello, who was originally announced. Albelo is a lyric tenor who has performed at the New York Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Bolshoi Theatre, Royal Opera {…}
ABAO Bilbao Opera is set to present Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” from Nov. 22 to Dec. 1, 2025. The opera will be performed at the Euskalduna Bilbao with Maria Agresta singing the title role, Silvia Tro Santafé as the Principessa di Bouillon, Jorge de León as Maurizio, and Carlos Álvarez as Michonnet. The cast will also include Jorge Rodríguez-Norton, Luis López, {…}