Ralph Fiennes to Make Opera Directing Debut with EUGENE ONEGIN at Paris's Garnier Opera House

British actor Ralph Fiennes will direct his first opera, the Paris National Opera announced on Wednesday. He is set to stage Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the historic Palais Garnier in January 2026.

The 62-year-old actor, known for his performances in Schindler’s List and The English Patient, has previously directed several films, including the 2018 biopic The White Crow about dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

Fiennes is described in the Paris opera’s newly released 2025–2026 season schedule as “fascinated by Russian culture and attuned to the dramatic intensity of Tchaikovsky’s music.” He is quoted as saying, “Eugene Onegin tells a love story that doesn’t work.”

He previously portrayed the title character in the 1999 film adaptation Onegin, directed by his sister Martha Fiennes.

The creative team for the production includes Semyon Bychkov and Case Scaglione sharing conducting duties, with Bychkov leading from January 23 to February 15, and Scaglione from February 18 to 27. Michael Levine will design the sets, Annemarie Woods will handle costume design, and Alessandro Carletti will provide lighting design. Choreography is by Sophie Laplane, with artistic collaboration from Kim Brandstrup. Ching-Lien Wu serves as chorus master. The music and libretto are by Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, with contributions to the libretto by Constantin S. Chilovski.

The cast includes Boris Pinkhasovich as Eugene Onegin, Ruzan Mantashyan as Tatiana, and Bogdan Volkov as Lensky. Marvic Monreal plays Olga, with Dmitry Belosselskiy as Prince Gremin. Susan Graham appears as Madame Larina, Elena Zaremba as Filipyevna, Peter Bronder as Monsieur Triquet, Amin Ahangaran as Zaretsky, and Mikhail Silantev as the Captain.