Tenor Riccardo Massi will make his role debut as Gabriele Adorno in “Simon Boccanegra” at the Opéra de Marseille on Oct. 2, marking a major dream come true for the artist.

The tenor will appear in a production directed by legendary baritone Leo Nucci with conductor Paolo Arrivabeni at the podium. Over the course of four performances, Massi will work alongside baritone Juan Jesús Rodriguez, soprano Olesya Golovneva, and bass Nicolas Courjal.

“Adorno is a challenge either for the very multifaceted singing and the interpretation particularly in Act two in which the dynamics among the Doge, Amelia and Gabriele change completely,” the tenor said in a press release. states the Italian tenor. “It is a honor for me to debut this role at the Opéra de Marseille, under Maestro Arrivabeni and in a production staged by such a living legend as Leo Nucci, who works with the utmost respect for the libretto and Verdi’s music.”

Next up for tenor are performances of varying operas at the Washington National Opera, Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, the National Theatre Mannheim, the Bavarian State Opera, and the Semperoper, among others.