Metropolitan Opera Announces Cast Changes

By: Jun. 16, 2017
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Sonya Yoncheva will make her role debut in the Met's new production of Puccini's Tosca next season replacing Kristine Opolais, who has withdrawn for personal reasons. The Met looks forward to welcoming Ms. Opolais back in future seasons. The company is grateful to the Vienna State Opera for releasing Ms. Yoncheva from a previous commitment.

Ailyn Pérez, who most recently sang Mimì in the Met's production of Puccini's La Bohème, will replace Yoncheva as the Countess in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro in performances from December 29 through January 13.

The new staging of Tosca opens on December 31 and will be directed by Sir David McVicar and conducted by Andris Nelsons. The premiere performances will also star Vittorio Grigolo as Cavaradossi and Bryn Terfel as Scarpia. On January 12, Jennifer Rowley will sing the title role of Tosca. The January 27 matinee will be transmitted live as part of the Met's Live in HD series, which reaches more than 2,000 movie theaters in 71 countries around the world.

The performances of Le Nozze di Figaro with Ailyn Pérez open on December 29, with Nadine Sierra as Susanna, Isabel Leonard as Cherubino, Mariusz Kwiecien as the Count, and Ildar Abdrazakov as Figaro. The conductor is Harry Bicket.

Sonya Yoncheva made her Met debut in 2013 as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto. She returned to the Met in her role debut as Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème and then as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata in the company's 2014-15 season and earned significant critical acclaim for both roles. She opened the Met's 2015-16 season as Desdemona in a new production of Verdi's Otello and reprised her Violetta in the 2016-17 season. In the 2017-18 season along with her performances of Tosca, she can also be seen at the Met reprising Mimì in La Bohème, as well as singing Luisa in Verdi's Luisa Miller. All three of these productions will be transmitted as part of the Live in HD series, making Ms. Yoncheva the first artist to have three principal roles in the same HD season.

Ailyn Pérez adds a new role to her Met repertory as the Countess, a role she has previously sung with the Houston Grand Opera. She made her company debut in 2015 as Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen followed by Musetta in La Bohème. In 2016, she won the Beverly Sills Artist Award and starred as Mimì in La Bohème. In 2017-18 in addition to her performances as the Countess, Pérez will also sing in the title role of Massenet's Thaïs and Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

Jennifer Rowley made her Met debut as Musetta in La Bohème in 2014 and most recently received critical acclaim for making her role debut on short notice as Roxane in Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac. Her recent performances with other companies have included the title role of Tosca with New Orleans Opera and Dresden's Sächsische Staatsoper, Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore with Théâtre de Caen and Opéra de Lille, and Musetta in La Bohème at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Prior to her Met role debut in Tosca, she will sing the role at the Nashville Opera and Finger Lakes Opera.



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