Metropolitan Opera Announces Cast Change For RIGOLETTO

Karen Kamensek will conduct the May and June performances of Verdi's Rigoletto, replacing Karel Mark Chichon.

American conductor Karen Kamensek is currently leading Philip Glass's Akhnaten at the Met, the production she made her company debut with in 2019. She also conducted the Met's original cast album of Akhnaten, which won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. She has conducted Verdi's Rigoletto at the Hamburg State Opera, Theater Freiburg, and Malmö Opera. She served as music director and chief conductor of Staatsoper Hannover between 2011 and 2016, and music director of Theater Freiburg between 2003 and 2006. She has also held tenures as deputy music director of Staatsoper Hamburg, interim chief conductor at the Maribor Slovene National Theatre, and first kapellmeister at the Vienna Volksoper. Recent highlights this season include conducting Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at Lyric Opera of Chicago, the world premiere of Philip Glass's Alice in Strasbourg, Mozart's Così fan tutte at Arizona Opera, and concerts with the Orchestre Chambre de Paris and Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.

The second run of Bartlett Sher's new production of Verdi's Rigoletto stars baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, soprano Erin Morley as Gilda, mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina as Maddalena, tenor Stephen Costello as the Duke of Mantua, and bass Ante Jerkunica as Sparafucile.

Performances are May 28 and June 1, 4, 8, and 11.

For more information, visit metopera.org.

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