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, {…}
The Bibao Opera has announced a cast change for “Werther.” The company said that Spanish soprano Lucía Iglesias will step into the role of Sophie. Iglesias will make her role debut as well as her house debut. The soprano made her professional debut in 2019 and has since performed at the Teatro Real de Madrid, Teatro Mancinelli in Orvieto, Palacio {…}
On Nov. 21, the board of directors of the Bilabo Opea director approved the financial statements for the 2024-2025 season with 99 percent of the vote. President Juan Carlos Matellanes said the 73rd Season concluded with revenues of €7.9 million and expenses of €8.3 million, highlighting that “efforts aimed at reducing the deficit have resulted in a slight improvement over {…}
(Credit: Foto © Silvia Maidagan) The ABAO Bilbao Opera is set to open its new season with Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino.” The work will be presented on Oct. 20 through Nov 3 at the Euskalduna Bilbao. The work will star Carmen Solis as Leonora, Angelo Villari as Don Alvaro, Juan Jesús Rodríguez as Don Carlos, and Manuel Fuentes as {…}
The Bilbao Opera has announced has selected Esteban Urzelai Eizagirre as the company’s next Chorus Director. He will begin his new post during the 2025-26 season, replacing Boris Dujin, who has been with the company since 1994 and who led over 100 operas and concerts. Beginning in 2020, Eizagirre was the subdirector of the Coro Nacional de España and was {…}
The ABAO Bilbao Ópera has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” starring Carmen Solís, Angelo Villari, Ketevan Kemoklidze, and Juan Jesús Rodríguez. Lorenzo Passerini conducts the production by Ignacio García. Performance Dates: Oct. 25-Nov. 3, 2025 Maria Agresta, Jorge de León, Silvia Tro Santafé, and Carlos Álvarez star in Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” with Marco Armiliato {…}