(Photo: Ansa Matteo Corner)

This Monday, the long-awaited press conference was held to unveil the Teatro alla Scala’s 2025–26 season. The lineup promises to shine with big names, new productions, and ambitious projects. That’s why we’re bringing you a Top five list of the unmissable highlights of the new season!

Number 1: A Bold Opening

As tradition dictates, the season will open on Dec. 7, 2025, with an unconventional choice: “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by Dmitri Shostakovich. This leads our list not only because it’s the most significant production of the season, but also due to its rarity—it hasn’t been seen at La Scala since 1992. Censored for decades in the Soviet Union, Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth” holds a special historical connection to Milan. New superintendent Fortunato Ortombina shared that a letter preserved in the theatre’s archives reveals that then-superintendent Francesco Siciliani had proposed to Shostakovich to stage the premiere of his revised second version at La Scala—after Stalin ordered the opera to be banned from Soviet stages despite its growing success. The composer accepted the proposition, and following its 1962 debut in Moscow, the second version premiered at La Scala in 1964. This very edition will now open the new season, conducted by Riccardo Chailly and staged by Vasily Barkhatov.

Number 2: A Devilish Season Finale

Closing the season is Gounod’s “Faust,” one of the most beloved titles in the French repertoire thanks to its melodic invention and natural dramatic flow. “Faust” hasn’t graced La Scala’s stage since 2010, and this new production earns the second spot on our list for its prestigious co-production with the Palau de les Arts in Valencia and Berlin’s Staatsoper -two institutions that guarantee top-tier quality. It also marks the return of conductor Daniele Rustioni, absent from La Scala’s pit since 2014, and stage director Johannes Erath. And as if that weren’t enough, the cast features tenor Vittorio Grigolo in the title role, soprano Marina Rebeka as Marguerite, and Alex Esposito as Méphistophélès -a dream team that promises fireworks.

Number 3: A Provocative Gypsy

Incoming music director Myung-Whun Chung takes on his eleventh opera title at La Scala with a new production of Bizet’s “Carmen,” landing in our third spot. Co-produced with London’s Royal Opera House and Madrid’s Teatro Real, this staging by the ever-controversial Damiano Michieletto -with scenic design by Paolo Fantin- strips away local color to deliver a streamlined and compelling production focused on the characters’ inevitable destinies. French mezzo-sopranos Clémentine Margaine and Stéphanie d’Oustrac will alternate as the capricious Carmen, with Vittorio Grigolo and Matthew Polenzani sharing the role of Don José. A production that is sure to be talked about!

Number 4: The Theatre’s croce e delizia

Despite being in the Scala repertoire since 1990, Liliana Cavani’s legendary production of “La traviata” returns to the stage after nearly eight years. Long considered both a blessing and a curse for any theatre (a “croce e delizia”), this effective and poetic production returns under the baton of Michele Gamba. The cast includes Nadine Sierra as Violetta, with tenors Piero Pretti and Iván Ayón Rivas alternating as Alfredo, and Boris Pinkhasovich and Amartuvshin Enkhbat as Germont. This iconic production is a true Scala staple, earning it a well-deserved fourth place in our ranking.

Number 5: Dazzling Solo Voices

Rounding out the top five aren’t opera titles but a series of solo recitals featuring powerful, world-class voices scheduled throughout the year. First up in January is the one and only “king of tenors,” Juan Diego Flórez, accompanied by his longtime pianist Vincenzo Scalera. In March, soprano Marina Rebeka returns to the Milanese stage for a recital – her first since 2020- this time joined by La Scala’s String Quartet. June brings a rare treat: a solo recital by countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński with pianist Michal Biel. Later that same month, Scala favorites Francesco Meli and Luca Salsi will team up for a joint recital alongside pianist Nelson Calzi. And finally, tenor Benjamin Bernheim returns in November with pianist Mathieu Pordoy to close the season with his velvet tone.

It’s worth noting that the 2025–26 season includes 10 operatic titles—fewer than the 14 that typically make up La Scala’s annual lineup. This may be due to the Ring Cycle, a huge feat for any opera company. But there is one notable absence, and not a welcome one, the disappearance of both the baroque opera slot (which in the past has featured “La Calisto,” “Le zite ’n galera,” “L’Orontea,” “L’opera seria”) and the contemporary opera offering (which has included “Peter Grimes,” “The Tempest,” “Il nome della rosa”).

We remain hopeful that Fortunato Ortombina’s administration will embrace a more expansive and inclusive vision: a theatre of La Scala’s prestige and history cannot overlook bel canto or English opera, nor continue to ignore genres like zarzuela or operetta. Latin American opera—still unjustly absent—deserves a rightful place on this stage, as do at least one baroque and one contemporary opera each season.

The great irony? It was a Frenchman, Dominique Meyer, who worked hardest to revive rare Italian repertoire. And now, under an Italian director, the first thing to disappear is precisely that open-minded programming. Sometimes, even in opera, the past disguises itself as progress.