Gustavo Dudamel Makes His Metropolitan Opera Debut Conducting Verdi's OTELLO On December 14

The Metropolitan Opera presents Verdi's towering Shakespearean masterpiece Otello, with performances December 14, 2018, to January 10, 2019. Otello marks the Met debut of conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who over the last decade has transformed the Los Angeles Philharmonic into one of the most closely watched classical ensembles in the world. Starring in the title role of Shakespeare's doomed Moor is Stuart Skelton, with Sonya Yoncheva as the devoted Desdemona and Željko Lu?i? as the treacherous Iago. The cast also features Jennifer Johnson Cano as Emilia, Alexey Dolgov as Cassio, and Met stalwart James Morris as Lodovico. Julianna DiGiacomo sings the role of Desdemona on December 28.

Otello Radio and Online Broadcasts

The December14, January 5, and January 10 performances of Otello will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS XM Channel 75. The January 5 performance will be broadcast over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network, and the December 14 and January 10 performances will also be streamed live on the Met's web site, metopera.org.

Otello Artist Biographies

Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva reprises her portrayal of Desdemona, which she sang previously at the Met in this production's premiere in the 2015-2016 season. She made her Met debut in 2013 as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, followed by widely acclaimed company role debuts as Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème, Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, and the title role in Puccini's Tosca. Later this season, she will make her company role debut in the title role of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta in the Met's double-bill production of Iolanta and Bluebeard's Castle. Last season, she became the first artist to sing three leading roles in a single season of the Met's Live in HD series.

Australian tenor Stuart Skelton makes his company role debut as Otello. He made his Met debut in 2011 as the Drum-Major in Berg's Wozzeck, followed by Siegmund in Wagner's Die Walküre and Tristan in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Later this season at the Met, he will be seen in the return of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, reprising Siegmund. His other credits this season include the title role in Britten's Peter Grimes at the Brisbane Festival, the title role in Verdi's Otello at the Baden-Baden Festival, and Siegmund at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Serbian baritone Željko Lu?i? reprises Iago, which he previously performed in the 2015-2016 season. He made his Met debut in 2006 as Barnaba in Ponchielli's La Gioconda and has sung 16 roles with the company. His other Met appearances include Verdi baritone roles such as the title roles in Macbeth and Nabucco, Amonasro in Aida, and Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. Last season, he sang Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, a role he also reprises this season, and this season he added Jack Rance in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West to his Met repertory.

Russian tenor Alexey Dolgov previously appeared as Cassio in the Met's 2013 and 2016 stagings of Otello. His first Met performance was as Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor during the company's 2011 tour to Japan. Upcoming performances this season include the title role in Massenet's Werther at the Israeli Opera, Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at Washington National Opera, and Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at Seattle Opera and the Bavarian State Opera.

American soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano reprises Emilia, which she previously sang at the Met in the 2015-2016 season. A graduate of the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, she made her Met debut in 2009 as a Bridesmaid in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and has since been seen as Sandman in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, Wellgunde in Wagner's Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung and Waltraute in his Die Walküre, Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Bersi in Giordano's Andrea Chénier, and Mercédès in Bizet's Carmen. Later this season, she will sing Meg Page in Verdi's Falstaff at the Met.

American bass-baritone James Morris reprises Lodovico, a role he sang with the company in the 2015-2016 season. He has sung more than 1,000 Met performances, including Verdi roles such as the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo, Ramfis in Aida, and Iago in Otello; the Commendatore in Mozart's Don Giovanni; Timur in Puccini's Turandot; Oroveso in Bellini's Norma; and his signature role of Wotan in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, which he performed at the Met from 1987 to 2009.

Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel makes his Met debut leading Otello. This year marks his 10th season as the music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and his 19th season leading the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. A champion of arts access and education, he has shaped his career through civic engagement. Other performances this season include tours with the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, and Mahler Chamber Orchestra, as well as his first academic residency at Princeton University. He has conducted a wide breadth of repertoire at a number of leading orchestras and companies, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Paris Opera, La Scala, and the Salzburg Festival.

For further details on Otello, including casting by date, please click here.

Photo Credit: Ken Howard/ Metropolitan Opera

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