TEATRO ALLA SCALA 2026–2027
There are seasons that promise excellence, and there are seasons that enter immediately into legend. The 2026–2027 season of Teatro alla Scala belongs unmistakably to the latter category.
Opera
Rich in extraordinary voices, visionary productions, celebrated conductors, and some of the greatest masterpieces ever written for the operatic stage, this remarkable season offers audiences an irresistible journey through the very heart of the repertoire.
At the center of it all stands a historic new chapter in the life of La Scala: the beginning of the era of Myung-Whun Chung as Music Director. One of the most respected conductors of our time, admired for his profound musicianship, elegance, and deep understanding of the Italian repertoire, Chung assumes leadership of the world's most prestigious opera house with a season worthy of the occasion. His presence alone would make this an important year. Combined with the exceptional artistic forces assembled throughout the season, it becomes an event of international significance.
And what better way to inaugurate this new era than with Verdi's supreme Shakespearean masterpiece, Otello, opening the season on the evening of December 7th, the legendary Prima della Scala, the most anticipated night in Milanese cultural life.
Every year, the city waits for this evening. The Prima is much more than an opera performance. It is a celebration of Italian culture, a symbol of Milan itself, and one of the most prestigious events in the international artistic calendar. On that magical night, the eyes of the opera world turn toward La Scala.
This year, excitement is reaching extraordinary levels.
The reason has a name: Brian Jagde.
Only one year ago, the American tenor electrified audiences at the Prima with a magnificent portrayal of Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino. His performance was one of the great triumphs of the season, confirming him as one of the most exciting dramatic tenors of his generation. His voice combined power, beauty, and heroic brilliance; his stage presence captivated audiences; and his success was immediate and overwhelming.
Now, on another December 7th, he returns to the same stage for an even greater challenge.
Otello.
For many opera lovers, this is the role by which great tenors are measured. It requires immense vocal resources, dramatic intelligence, stamina, and charisma. It is a summit of the repertoire. And there is a growing sense among opera enthusiasts that Brian Jagde possesses all the qualities necessary to become one of the defining Otellos of our time.
The anticipation surrounding his debut in this role at La Scala is enormous. Many already see him as the ideal Otello for a new generation, a singer capable of combining Verdian style with thrilling vocal impact and deeply human emotion.
Alongside him stands an exceptional cast. The superb Eleonora Buratto, one of Italy's most admired sopranos, will bring grace, tenderness, and heartbreaking beauty to Desdemona, while the formidable Luca Salsi, among today's leading Verdi baritones, will portray the sinister Iago with all the authority and dramatic power for which he is internationally celebrated.
Under the baton of Myung-Whun Chung and in a new production by Damiano Michieletto, Otello promises to be one of the defining operatic events of the decade.
Yet remarkably, this is only the beginning.
Only weeks later comes another major attraction: Bizet's enchanting Les Pêcheurs de Perles. The production will be headlined by the glamorous and internationally beloved soprano Olga Peretyatko, whose appearance as Leïla is expected to be one of the vocal highlights of the season. Together with the elegant tenor Dmitry Korchak and the distinguished baritone Igor Golovatenko, she leads a cast capable of bringing all the exotic beauty and lyrical charm of Bizet's score to life.
Mozart lovers will then be treated to Don Giovanni, one of the greatest operas ever composed. Robert Carsen's acclaimed production returns with an impressive ensemble featuring Adela Zaharia, Daniel Behle, Dmitry Korchak, Alex Esposito, and Luca Micheletti. Combining comedy, drama, seduction, and supernatural terror, Don Giovanni remains one of the crown jewels of the repertoire, and this revival promises performances of exceptional musical and theatrical quality.
Another audience favorite arrives with Puccini's immortal La Bohème, presented in the legendary staging by Franco Zeffirelli. Few productions in opera history have achieved such iconic status. Generations of audiences have fallen in love with Zeffirelli's Parisian world, and this revival will once again offer the emotional magic that has made Bohème one of the most beloved works ever written. With Stefan Pop, Carolina López Moreno, Davide Luciano, and Sara Blanch, the production promises lyric beauty and heartfelt emotion in abundance.
For many opera lovers, however, one title towers above all others.
Anna Bolena.
For countless admirers of bel canto, this masterpiece by Donizetti occupies a unique place in the history of opera. And nowhere is that history more deeply felt than in Milan.
Although the opera premiered at the Teatro Carcano, Anna Bolena became forever associated with La Scala thanks to one of the most legendary chapters in twentieth-century operatic history: the unforgettable performances of Maria Callas.
When Callas revived the work in the 1950s, she transformed not only the destiny of the opera itself but the entire perception of Donizetti's serious operas. Her performances became legendary, restoring Anna Bolena to the international stage and creating memories that remain part of the mythology of La Scala to this day.
The name of Maria Callas still hovers over every new production of Anna Bolena in Milan.
Nearly seventy years later, the opera returns once again to inspire audiences, and expectations could hardly be greater.
The title role will be shared by two fascinating artists, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya and Monica Conesa, giving audiences the opportunity to experience two distinct interpretations of the tragic queen.
But perhaps the greatest excitement surrounds the appearance of the extraordinary Juan Diego Flórez as Percy.
Universally admired as one of the greatest bel canto tenors of modern times, Flórez has conquered the world's leading stages through the elegance of his singing, the brilliance of his technique, and the unmistakable beauty of his voice. His return to Milan in this role is one of the most anticipated events of the season.
For many opera lovers, seeing Juan Diego Flórez sing Percy at La Scala represents a dream fulfilled. The role demands nobility, virtuosity, and emotional intensity—qualities that have defined Flórez's extraordinary career. His presence alone guarantees that every performance will become a major occasion.
For devotees of Anna Bolena, this promises to be one of the most important productions of recent years and a fitting tribute to the great tradition established by Maria Callas, Leyla Gencer, and the illustrious interpreters who followed in their footsteps.
The Verdian celebrations continue in spring with another Shakespearean masterpiece: Macbeth.
Verdi's dark and gripping drama demands artists capable of combining vocal excellence with profound psychological insight, and this cast possesses exactly those qualities. With Barrie Kosky's acclaimed production providing the visual framework, Macbeth promises to be one of the season's most intense theatrical experiences.
Looking across the entire season, one is struck not only by the quality of individual productions but by the extraordinary concentration of talent assembled at La Scala. Brian Jagde, Eleonora Buratto, Luca Salsi, Olga Peretyatko, Dmitry Korchak, Juan Diego Flórez, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Adela Zaharia, René Pape, Anastasia Bartoli, Stefan Pop, Carolina López Moreno, Alex Esposito and many others will bring their artistry to Milan over the coming months.
Above all, however, the season begins with a sense of excitement, expectation, and renewal.
A new Music Director.
A new production of Otello.
The return of Brian Jagde after his triumph in La Forza del Destino.
The glittering atmosphere of the Prima della Scala.
And a year filled with masterpieces waiting to unfold.
For Milan, for La Scala, and for opera lovers around the world, the countdown to December 7th has already begun.
OTELLO
Giuseppe Verdi
December 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 29, 2026 – January 2 and 5, 2027
The opening of the 2026/2027 season at Teatro alla Scala promises to be one of the most historic and eagerly anticipated events in the international opera world. On the evening of December 7th, Milan's celebrated Prima della Scala—an occasion that transcends opera and becomes the defining social and cultural event of the city—will raise the curtain on Giuseppe Verdi's immortal masterpiece, Otello.
Few choices could be more symbolic. It was at La Scala that Verdi himself unveiled Otello in 1887, and the work has remained one of the sacred pillars of the theatre's history ever since. The atmosphere in Milan is already charged with anticipation as the city prepares for a night worthy of the greatest traditions of Italian opera.
This new production also marks the beginning of a new artistic era: the inaugural Prima conducted by the newly appointed Music Director, the magnificent Myung-Whun Chung, a supreme Verdian interpreter whose profound musicianship promises to illuminate every page of the score with authority, passion, and refinement.
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At the center of this grand event stands the artist many expect to become the Otello of the twenty-first century, the extraordinary American tenor Brian Jagde. After his triumphant appearance in La Forza del Destino, where he delivered a thrilling and unforgettable Don Alvaro worthy of La Scala's greatest traditions, Jagde now takes on Verdi's most demanding heroic role. Expectations could scarcely be higher, and all signs point toward a spectacular assumption of the Moor of Venice.
Alongside him appears an exceptional cast headed by the acclaimed Italian soprano Eleonora Buratto, whose Desdemona promises elegance, beauty, and emotional depth, and the formidable baritone Luca Salsi, one of today's greatest Verdi interpreters, bringing his immense dramatic power to the sinister Iago.
Directed by the visionary Damiano Michieletto, the production returns Otello to La Scala for the first time since 2005 and promises an unforgettable fusion of theatrical innovation and Verdian grandeur.
Cast
LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES
Georges Bizet
January 22 – February 7, 2027
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LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES: BIZET'S IMMORTAL MASTERPIECE RETURNS TO LA SCALA
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A Forgotten Treasure Becomes One of Opera's Greatest Jewels
Following the monumental opening of the season with Verdi's Otello, Teatro alla Scala turns to another masterpiece born from genius, passion, and ultimately one of the most poignant stories in musical history: Georges Bizet's enchanting Les Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers).
Presented in a prestigious new co-production with the Teatro Real of Madrid, this eagerly awaited production brings to Milan one of the most beloved works of the French operatic repertoire. Rich in exotic atmosphere, unforgettable melodies, passionate emotions, and some of the most beautiful vocal writing ever composed, Les Pêcheurs de Perles remains one of opera's most irresistible treasures.
For audiences at La Scala, these performances promise to be among the most elegant and emotionally rewarding events of the season.
Yet the story behind the opera is almost as fascinating as the work itself.
Georges Bizet: The Tragic Genius
There are few figures in music history more touching than Georges Bizet.
Today his name stands among the immortals. His music is performed in every major opera house on earth. His melodies are known by millions. His masterpiece Carmen is perhaps the most famous opera ever written.
Yet during his lifetime, success seemed constantly beyond his reach.
Bizet was a prodigy from childhood. Born in Paris in 1838, he entered the Paris Conservatoire at an exceptionally young age and quickly astonished teachers and colleagues alike with his extraordinary gifts. His talent was so remarkable that he won the prestigious Prix de Rome, one of the highest honours available to a young French composer.
Musicians who heard him play the piano were left speechless.
Even Franz Liszt, arguably the greatest pianist of the nineteenth century, was deeply impressed by the young Frenchman's astonishing abilities. Everyone recognized his genius.
But genius does not always guarantee immediate success.
Bizet's dream was not merely to become a pianist. He wanted to conquer the opera stage. He wanted to write music that could move audiences, tell great stories, and create unforgettable theatrical experiences.
That dream led him to compose Les Pêcheurs de Perles.
A Young Composer's Great Opportunity
When Bizet began work on Les Pêcheurs de Perles, he was only twenty-four years old.
The Théâtre Lyrique in Paris offered him a major opportunity: a full-scale opera to be presented before the demanding Parisian public.
For the young composer, this was the chance of a lifetime.
Working under intense pressure and with astonishing speed, Bizet composed the score in only a few months. Despite his youth, the music reveals a composer of extraordinary maturity and imagination.
From the very first pages, one hears qualities that would later blossom fully in Carmen: sensual orchestral colours, unforgettable melodies, dramatic intensity, and a remarkable ability to create atmosphere.
Set in ancient Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka, the opera tells the story of friendship, loyalty, forbidden love, sacrifice, and redemption. It is a tale of immense emotional power, and Bizet clothed it in music of extraordinary beauty.
The young composer poured his heart into every page.
A Disappointment That Broke His Heart
The premiere took place in Paris in 1863.
The public responded warmly.
But the critics did not.
Many reviewers attacked the work, dismissing the score as overly ambitious and too modern. Some failed to understand the originality of Bizet's musical language. Others criticized the libretto while unfairly blaming the composer.
Although the opera enjoyed several performances, it failed to achieve the breakthrough Bizet desperately hoped for.
Soon it disappeared from the repertory.
For the composer, the disappointment was profound.
He believed he had created something beautiful. Yet the recognition he longed for never arrived.
Tragically, he would never live to see the world change its mind.
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The Cruel Irony of History
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The story of Les Pêcheurs de Perles became even more heartbreaking after Bizet's death.
In 1875, he completed Carmen.
Today, Carmen is considered one of the supreme masterpieces of Western civilization.
At its premiere, however, many critics were scandalized. Some considered the opera too realistic, too daring, too unconventional.
Only three months later, Georges Bizet died at the age of thirty-six.
He died believing he had failed.
He never witnessed the triumph of Carmen.
He never witnessed the worldwide admiration that would follow.
And he never witnessed the glorious rediscovery of Les Pêcheurs de Perles.
Yet history eventually delivered its verdict.
The critics were forgotten.
Bizet became immortal.
Time Has Given Bizet Justice
Today, Les Pêcheurs de Perles is recognized as one of the great treasures of French opera.
What audiences immediately hear is the astonishing melodic inspiration flowing through the score.
The famous duet "Au fond du temple saint" has become one of the most beloved pieces ever written for tenor and baritone. Generations of listeners have fallen in love with its noble beauty and profound expression of friendship.
The tenor's celebrated aria "Je crois entendre encore" remains one of the supreme tests of elegance, refinement, and vocal control.
Every page of the score reveals melodic genius.
One cannot help feeling that the world eventually understood what Bizet had achieved.
The young composer who once faced disappointment had in fact created a masterpiece.
Olga Peretyatko: The Star of the Production
The return of this beloved work to La Scala is made even more exciting by the presence of one of today's most admired sopranos: Olga Peretyatko.
For many opera lovers, her appearance alone makes this production unmissable.
Peretyatko has established herself as one of the leading coloratura sopranos of her generation. Celebrated for her dazzling technique, radiant upper register, exquisite musicality, and magnetic stage presence, she has captivated audiences in the world's most prestigious theatres.
Leïla is a role perfectly suited to her unique gifts.
The character requires purity of line, vocal agility, emotional sensitivity, and an almost ethereal beauty of expression. It is not merely a showcase for virtuosity; it is a portrait of a woman torn between sacred vows and overwhelming human love.
Peretyatko possesses precisely the artistic sophistication required to bring such a character fully to life.
Her interpretation promises to be one of the major vocal events of the season.
One can easily imagine her voice floating through the magnificent auditorium of La Scala during Leïla's most inspired moments, casting the same spell that audiences have experienced in the world's greatest opera houses.
An Exceptional Cast
Joining Olga Peretyatko is a cast of remarkable distinction.
As Nadir, the elegant tenor Dmitry Korchak brings one of the most refined lyric voices on today's international stage. His artistry, musical intelligence, and effortless command of the French style make him an ideal interpreter of Bizet's romantic hero.
His performance of "Je crois entendre encore" is expected to be among the musical highlights of the entire season.
As Zurga, the powerful baritone Igor Golovatenko contributes dramatic authority and vocal richness to one of the opera's most complex characters. Friend, rival, leader, and ultimately tragic hero, Zurga demands both vocal power and emotional depth.
Golovatenko possesses both in abundance.
Completing the principal cast is the distinguished bass Nicolas Courjal as Nourabad, bringing his imposing stage presence and sonorous voice to the production.
Together they form an ensemble of exceptional quality, fully worthy of one of France's most beloved masterpieces.
A Production Destined for Success
Under the baton of Henrik Nánási, a conductor renowned for his stylistic elegance and musical precision, and in the hands of director Arnaud Bernard, audiences can expect a production that combines visual beauty with dramatic insight.
The partnership between Teatro alla Scala and Teatro Real of Madrid further guarantees a production of the highest international standard.
Everything points toward a major success.
A masterpiece that has conquered time.
A score overflowing with unforgettable melodies.
One of the world's most admired sopranos in a role perfectly suited to her gifts.
An outstanding international cast.
And the incomparable setting of Teatro alla Scala.
More than 160 years after a young Georges Bizet first dreamed of bringing this story to life, his music continues to enchant audiences with the same freshness, beauty, and emotional power.
Perhaps that is the greatest victory of all.
The composer who died believing he had failed ultimately achieved what every artist hopes for: immortality.
And when Olga Peretyatko, Dmitry Korchak, Igor Golovatenko, and Nicolas Courjal take the stage in Milan, they will not simply be performing an opera.
They will be celebrating the enduring triumph of Georges Bizet's genius.
DON GIOVANNI
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
February 3–28, 2027
Cast
The Return of the Perfect Opera
Some operas are masterpieces.
Some operas define an era.
A very small number transcend music itself and become part of the cultural heritage of humanity.
Don Giovanni belongs to that rare and sacred category.
More than two centuries after its premiere on 29 October 1787 at Prague's Estates Theatre, Mozart's immortal masterpiece continues to stand at the summit of artistic achievement, admired not only as one of the greatest operas ever composed, but as one of the greatest creations of the human spirit.
For countless musicians, philosophers, writers, and historians, Don Giovanni is not simply an opera.
It is the opera of operas.
The work against which all others are measured.
The miracle in which music, drama, psychology, philosophy, comedy, tragedy, and pure beauty merge into absolute perfection.
And now, this supreme masterpiece returns to its spiritual home in Milan: Teatro alla Scala.
For opera lovers, few announcements could be more exciting.
Few experiences could be more extraordinary.
And few evenings could feel closer to paradise.
The Day History Changed Forever
The date was 29 October 1787.
Few people entering Prague's National Theatre that evening could have imagined that they were about to witness an event that would echo through centuries.
Mozart himself conducted the premiere.
The audience was astonished.
Something entirely new had appeared on the operatic stage.
This was not merely comedy.
Nor was it simply tragedy.
It was both.
And something infinitely greater.
With Don Giovanni, Mozart achieved what no composer before him had fully accomplished: the perfect fusion of every human emotion.
Laughter and terror.
Love and vengeance.
Desire and death.
Light and darkness.
He transformed opera into a mirror of humanity itself.
The result was not merely successful.
It was immortal.
Mozart: The Closest Thing to a Miracle
Every age produces great composers.
Only once has the world produced Mozart.
Even among the giants of music history, his figure remains unique.
Beethoven worshipped him.
Schubert adored him.
Rossini stood in awe of him.
Tchaikovsky considered him the embodiment of musical beauty.
Philosophers from Goethe to Kierkegaard were captivated by his genius.
His manuscripts remain among the greatest mysteries in artistic history.
While most composers struggled, revised, crossed out passages, and searched endlessly for solutions, Mozart seemed simply to hear complete masterpieces in his mind.
When he finally placed pen to paper, he often wrote with astonishing speed and clarity, as though he were merely copying music that already existed somewhere beyond ordinary human comprehension.
There is a reason why generation after generation has described his gift in almost supernatural terms.
His music possesses a balance that seems impossible.
Perfect structure.
Perfect proportion.
Perfect emotional truth.
And nowhere did that miraculous gift shine more brightly than in Don Giovanni.
The Opera of Operas
Why has Don Giovanni earned such an extraordinary reputation?
Why do so many musicians consider it the greatest opera ever written?
The answer lies in its astonishing perfection.
Every character breathes with psychological complexity.
Every scene advances the drama.
Every musical number reveals something essential about the human soul.
There is not a wasted note.
Not a redundant phrase.
Not a single moment that feels less inspired than the one before.
The seductive charm of Don Giovanni.
The wounded passion of Donna Elvira.
The aristocratic nobility of Donna Anna.
The comic brilliance of Leporello.
The supernatural terror of the Commendatore.
Together they create a dramatic universe unlike any other in opera.
The famous final scene remains one of the most astonishing moments in all music.
As the stone statue of the Commendatore enters and confronts the unrepentant libertine, Mozart creates a sound world of almost terrifying power.
The music seems to come from another realm.
It is theatre.
It is philosophy.
It is religion.
It is art at its highest level.
No wonder generations have left the theatre convinced they have witnessed something beyond ordinary human achievement.
Don Giovanni and La Scala: A Sacred Relationship
If there is one theatre uniquely qualified to present this masterpiece, it is Teatro alla Scala.
For generations, Don Giovanni has occupied a privileged position within the history of Milan's legendary opera house.
It is not merely a repertory work.
It is an institution.
A ritual.
A touchstone of artistic excellence.
Some of the greatest singers, conductors, and stage directors of the modern era have left unforgettable memories in this opera on the Scala stage.
Among those cherished memories stands the radiant figure of the unforgettable Edita Gruberová.
For opera lovers throughout the twentieth century, her Donna Anna became one of the defining interpretations of the role.
Combining dazzling technical mastery with extraordinary dramatic intensity, Gruberová created performances that entered the mythology of La Scala itself.
Those who experienced her artistry still speak of it with reverence.
Her name remains inseparable from the history of Mozart in Milan.
She was one of the great queens of the Scala stage.
One of the unforgettable stars of an unforgettable era.
A Magnificent Cast for a New Generation
Now a new generation of artists takes up the challenge.
The celebrated production by Robert Carsen, first unveiled for the historic Prima della Scala of 2011, returns once again to enchant audiences.
Widely regarded as one of the finest Mozart productions of the twenty-first century, Carsen's staging transforms La Scala itself into part of the drama.
Through mirrors, reflections, and theatrical illusion, the audience becomes a participant in Don Giovanni's world of seduction and moral ambiguity.
It is a production that simultaneously honours Mozart, Da Ponte, and La Scala itself.
Leading the musical forces is the gifted conductor Thomas Guggeis, one of the most exciting talents of his generation.
In the title role, audiences will hear Luca Micheletti and Davide Luciano, two distinguished artists bringing contrasting yet equally compelling perspectives to Mozart's fascinating antihero.
The cast also includes the splendid Adela Zaharia as Donna Anna, the elegant Daniel Behle and Dmitry Korchak as Don Ottavio, the passionate Marta Torbidoni and Tara Erraught as Donna Elvira, the charismatic Alex Esposito as Leporello, the imposing Gianluca Buratto as the Commendatore, and a superb ensemble of distinguished Mozart interpreters.
Everything points toward performances of exceptional quality.
Mozart in Milan
There are many beautiful experiences in life.
Few compare to hearing Mozart inside La Scala.
As the lights dim.
As the orchestra begins the overture.
As the first phrases emerge from the pit.
Time itself seems to disappear.
One feels connected not only to the performers on stage, but to centuries of history.
To Toscanini.
To Abbado.
To Muti.
To Gruberová.
To every artist who has served this masterpiece within these walls.
And above all, one feels connected to Mozart himself.
The young genius who, on a distant October evening in 1787, changed the history of music forever.
Now, nearly two hundred and forty years later, his miracle returns once again to Milan.
The masterpiece returns.
The legend returns.
The perfect opera returns.
And La Scala, the world's most celebrated opera house, once again opens its doors to welcome one of humanity's greatest achievements.
THE PARK THEATRE - New York City
stories in the history of opera are as extraordinary, as moving, or as symbolic as the arrival of Mozart's Don Giovanni in America. It is a story of exile and perseverance, of artistic devotion and cultural vision. Above all, it is the story of one remarkable man: Lorenzo Da Ponte, the Italian poet who worked side by side with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and whose determination brought one of the greatest masterpieces ever created to the shores of the New World.
Today, when Don Giovanni triumphs in the world's most prestigious theatres—from Prague to Vienna, from New York to Milan—it is easy to forget that there was a time when America had never heard Mozart's immortal score. That changed thanks to Da Ponte, one of the most fascinating and adventurous figures in all cultural history.
The Man Who Worked Beside Mozart
Lorenzo Da Ponte occupies a unique place in music history. He was not merely a librettist. He was Mozart's trusted collaborator and creative partner, the man whose words inspired three of the greatest operas ever written: Le Nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, and, above all, Don Giovanni.
The partnership between Mozart and Da Ponte remains one of the supreme artistic collaborations in human history. Mozart supplied the music; Da Ponte supplied the poetry, the dramatic architecture, the characters, and the unforgettable theatrical situations. Together they created works that continue to astonish audiences more than two centuries later.
When Don Giovanni premiered in Prague on 29 October 1787, a date that changed not only the history of music but arguably the history of Western civilization, the world witnessed the birth of a masterpiece unlike any other. Comedy and tragedy, beauty and terror, seduction and damnation—all fused into a single perfect dramatic creation.
The genius of Mozart was matched by the genius of Da Ponte. Without Mozart there would be no music. Without Da Ponte there would be no drama. Together they achieved something approaching artistic perfection.
Exile, Adventure, and a New World
The years following Mozart's death were turbulent for Da Ponte. Financial troubles, political difficulties, and personal scandals forced him to leave Europe.
His journey eventually brought him across the Atlantic Ocean to the young United States.
The voyage itself has become legendary. Historical accounts tell us that during one of his Atlantic crossings, Da Ponte travelled aboard a vessel carrying remarkably few paying passengers. He was among an extraordinarily small group of fare-paying travelers making the arduous journey to the New World.
Few could have imagined that this cultured Italian exile, who had once walked the streets of Vienna beside Mozart, would become the father of opera in America.
In New York he reinvented himself repeatedly. He worked as a bookseller, merchant, teacher, and intellectual. Eventually he became the first Professor of Italian Literature at Columbia College, today's Columbia University.
Yet throughout all these transformations, he never abandoned his greatest mission: bringing Italian culture, Italian language, and Italian opera to America.
New York Before Opera
In the early nineteenth century, New York was a rapidly growing city, but it was not yet a world cultural capital.
European opera remained largely unknown.
The city possessed theatres and entertainment venues, but nothing approaching the great operatic traditions of Milan, Naples, Vienna, or Prague.
At the centre of New York's theatrical life stood the Park Theatre, located in lower Manhattan.
Today the building no longer exists. Time has erased its walls, its stage, and its auditorium. Yet through surviving engravings, lithographs, and historical illustrations, we can still glimpse the theatre that once stood as New York's cultural heart.
For decades the Park Theatre was the city's most prestigious performance venue. It welcomed political leaders, wealthy merchants, intellectuals, and members of the social elite. If a major artistic event was to occur in New York, it would happen at the Park Theatre.
And it was there that history would be made.
The Arrival of the García Family
In 1825, a distinguished touring company arrived in New York under the leadership of the celebrated Spanish tenor Manuel García.
Among the company members was his gifted young daughter, the future legendary soprano Maria Malibran, who would soon become one of the most celebrated singers of the nineteenth century.
When Da Ponte learned of their arrival, he immediately recognized a historic opportunity.
He approached García and introduced himself.
Imagine the moment.
An elderly Italian gentleman, far from Europe, suddenly revealing that he was the librettist of Don Giovanni itself.
The creator of the words standing before the singers who might bring those words to life in America.
The encounter has entered operatic legend.
Da Ponte persuaded García that Don Giovanni must be performed in New York.
He promoted the project tirelessly, gathered support, assisted with preparations, and used every ounce of influence he possessed.
Without Da Ponte, there would almost certainly have been no Don Giovanni in America at that moment.
The Historic Night: 23 May 1826
Then came the great evening.
On 23 May 1826, the curtain rose at the Park Theatre for the first American performance of Don Giovanni.
It was a historic event.
The audience included New York's most prominent citizens, intellectuals, businessmen, and cultural figures.
The atmosphere was electric.
Unlike modern audiences, nineteenth-century theatre-goers were famously expressive. They applauded enthusiastically, reacted vocally, and openly displayed their emotions throughout performances.
Yet one spectator drew particular attention.
Lorenzo Da Ponte himself sat in a place of honour.
The old poet who had worked with Mozart nearly four decades earlier was present to witness the rebirth of their masterpiece on an entirely new continent.
One can only imagine his emotions.
As Mozart's music filled the theatre for the first time in American history, Da Ponte was not merely attending a performance.
He was watching the realization of a dream.
The dream of carrying Italian opera across the Atlantic.
The dream of ensuring that Mozart's genius would belong not only to Europe but to the entire world.
The dream succeeded.
A Legacy That Changed America
The significance of that evening extends far beyond a single performance.
The success of Don Giovanni helped establish Italian opera as a permanent cultural force in the United States.
It inspired future institutions, future companies, future audiences.
From that seed would eventually grow the great American operatic tradition, leading decades later to institutions such as the Academy of Music and ultimately the Metropolitan Opera.
In many ways, every performance of Italian opera in America owes a debt to Da Ponte's vision.
He was not merely a librettist.
He became an ambassador of culture.
A bridge between Europe and America.
A true Italian universal figure.
From Prague to Manhattan, From Manhattan to Milan
The miracle of Don Giovanni is that it triumphs everywhere.
It triumphed in Prague in 1787.
It triumphed in Manhattan in 1826.
It continues to triumph in Milan today.
Few works possess such universal power.
Generations change. Empires rise and fall. Cities transform. The Park Theatre disappears. New theatres are built. Audiences come and go.
Yet Don Giovanni remains.
Its music speaks with the same force.
Its drama fascinates with the same intensity.
Its characters feel as alive today as they did on the night of its creation.
That is the mark of true genius.
As Teatro alla Scala welcomes the return of Mozart's supreme masterpiece, audiences will rightly celebrate the composer whose music seems to touch eternity itself.
But they may also spare a thought for Lorenzo Da Ponte.
For the Italian who crossed oceans.
For the poet who carried Mozart's vision to America.
For the librettist whose words gave life to one of humanity's greatest artistic achievements.
Every new performance of Don Giovanni is, in a sense, a tribute to both men.
To Mozart, the immortal musical genius.
And to Da Ponte, the extraordinary Italian whose courage, imagination, and devotion helped ensure that this masterpiece would belong not to one nation, but to the entire world.
LA BOHÈME
Giacomo Puccini
February 16 – March 7, 2027
No season at La Scala would be complete without Puccini's beloved masterpiece. Franco Zeffirelli's legendary production returns, offering audiences one of the most iconic visual experiences in operatic history.
Cast
There are operas that achieve success.
There are operas that become beloved.
And then there are operas that transcend the stage altogether, becoming part of the emotional memory of entire generations.
La Bohème belongs to that rare and privileged category.
More than a century after its premiere, Giacomo Puccini's immortal masterpiece continues to move audiences with an intensity that few works in the history of music can equal. It is an opera that speaks directly to the heart, telling a story of youth, friendship, love, dreams, poverty, and loss with such sincerity that every generation discovers itself within its pages.
And nowhere has this masterpiece found a more devoted home than at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
The relationship between La Bohème and La Scala is one of the most sacred, passionate, and enduring in the entire history of opera. If there is a work capable of capturing the emotional pulse of Milan, it is undoubtedly Puccini's beloved portrait of bohemian Paris.
Now, in 2027, one of the most legendary productions ever created returns once again to the stage where it has become part of operatic mythology.
For opera lovers around the world, it is not merely a revival.
It is an event.
It is the return of a legend.
Puccini's Most Human Masterpiece
Few composers understood human emotion as profoundly as Giacomo Puccini.
His genius lay not only in writing unforgettable melodies but in transforming ordinary lives into extraordinary drama.
In La Bohème, he achieved perhaps his most perfect balance between music and theatre.
From the playful opening scenes in the freezing Parisian garret to the devastating final moments of the opera, there is not a single wasted note.
Every phrase serves the drama.
Every melody reveals a feeling.
Every scene advances the emotional journey.
The result is an opera that feels astonishingly modern despite being more than a century old.
We laugh with Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard, and Colline.
We fall in love alongside Mimì and Rodolfo.
We delight in Musetta's irresistible charm.
And ultimately, we suffer with them.
That is the miracle of La Bohème.
Its characters do not feel like operatic heroes.
They feel like real people.
Their joys are our joys.
Their heartbreak becomes our heartbreak.
Few works in any artistic discipline have captured the fragility of youth and the fleeting nature of happiness with such devastating beauty.
La Scala: Puccini's Spiritual Home
Although La Bohème received its world premiere in Turin in 1896 under the baton of a young Arturo Toscanini, Milan quickly became one of the opera's most important homes.
Indeed, La Scala became something even greater.
It became Puccini's refuge.
The composer's relationship with Milan was not always easy. The painful and infamous premiere of Madama Butterfly at La Scala in 1904 remains one of the most traumatic evenings in operatic history. The audience reacted harshly, and the work suffered a humiliating failure before eventually becoming one of the most beloved operas ever written.
Yet Milan never abandoned Puccini.
Nor did Puccini abandon Milan.
Over time, La Scala embraced his works with extraordinary affection, and La Bohème became one of the pillars of the theatre's identity.
Generation after generation of singers, conductors, and audiences have contributed to its rich history within these walls.
The ghosts of great performances seem to linger in every corner of the theatre.
The voices of legends still echo through memory.
Mirella Freni.
Luciano Pavarotti.
José Carreras.
And countless others who transformed Puccini's score into unforgettable evenings of theatrical magic.
Every revival inevitably enters into dialogue with this extraordinary legacy.
The Zeffirelli Miracle
If La Bohème is one of the greatest operas ever written, Franco Zeffirelli's production for La Scala is widely regarded as one of the greatest productions ever created.
Its return in 2027 represents far more than a simple revival.
It is the return of a masterpiece within a masterpiece.
Originally unveiled in 1963 under the musical direction of Herbert von Karajan and starring the incomparable Mirella Freni as Mimì, Zeffirelli's staging quickly achieved legendary status.
More than sixty years later, it remains the gold standard against which all other productions of La Bohème are measured.
Its greatness lies in its extraordinary ability to transport audiences directly into nineteenth-century Paris.
Nothing feels artificial.
Nothing feels symbolic.
Everything feels alive.
The garret is real.
The snow is real.
The streets are real.
The emotions are real.
The famous second act has become one of the most celebrated scenes in all opera.
As the curtain rises on the bustling Latin Quarter and the Café Momus, audiences are confronted with a breathtaking vision of Paris brought to life on an epic scale.
Children run through the streets.
Vendors call out their wares.
Soldiers march.
Crowds fill the stage.
The entire city seems to breathe before the audience's eyes.
The effect is so overwhelming that applause frequently erupts the moment the curtain rises, long before a single singer has uttered a note.
Few theatrical moments generate such spontaneous wonder.
It is one of the great spectacles of world opera.
A Production Loved Across Generations
One of the secrets behind the enduring success of Zeffirelli's production is its remarkable accessibility.
Opera newcomers adore it.
Experienced opera lovers adore it.
Traditionalists cherish it.
Even those who rarely attend opera find themselves captivated by its beauty.
In an era when many productions seek to reinterpret or radically transform classic works, Zeffirelli's vision remains a celebration of storytelling itself.
It trusts Puccini.
It trusts the music.
It trusts the emotions.
And audiences continue to respond with overwhelming enthusiasm.
That is why tickets disappear almost instantly whenever this production returns.
For many opera lovers, seeing Zeffirelli's La Bohème at La Scala is not merely another evening at the theatre.
It is a pilgrimage.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
A dream fulfilled.
A New Generation Takes the Stage
The 2027 revival brings together a fresh and exciting cast entrusted with carrying forward this extraordinary tradition.
In the pit, the experienced and deeply respected Daniel Oren will lead the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala through Puccini's luminous score.
Few conductors possess such an instinctive understanding of Italian opera.
His ability to breathe with singers and shape Puccini's emotional landscapes makes him an ideal guide for this beloved masterpiece.
The young cast promises freshness, authenticity, and youthful energy—qualities essential to the success of La Bohème.
Among the most eagerly anticipated performances is Carolina López Moreno's Mimì, a role requiring both vocal beauty and profound emotional sincerity.
Alongside her, audiences will enjoy the sparkling presence of acclaimed Spanish soprano Sara Blanch as Musetta, one of opera's most charismatic and irresistible heroines.
Together they represent a new generation of artists stepping into roles immortalized by some of the greatest singers in history.
The challenge is immense.
The opportunity is extraordinary.
The Eternal Triumph of La Bohème
There is a reason why La Bohème continues to sell out theatres across the world.
There is a reason why audiences return again and again.
There is a reason why tears continue to flow during the final act, even among those who know every note by heart.
The answer is simple.
Truth.
Puccini understood something fundamental about human existence.
Youth is fleeting.
Love is fragile.
Happiness is precious.
Life is beautiful because it does not last forever.
These truths resonate as powerfully today as they did in 1896.
That is why La Bohème remains eternal.
That is why every new generation embraces it as its own.
And that is why its return to La Scala in 2027 will undoubtedly be one of the defining events of the season.
When the lights dim.
When the orchestra begins those familiar opening bars.
When the curtain rises on Zeffirelli's magical Paris.
The audience will once again experience one of the greatest miracles in all of opera.
A masterpiece that never grows old.
A production that has become legend.
A love story that continues to break hearts.
And a theatre that remains its most devoted home.
La Bohème returns to Milan.
And once again, La Scala will remind the world why Puccini's masterpiece remains one of the most beloved creations in the history of music.
ANNA BOLENA
Gaetano Donizetti
March 30 – April 16, 2027
One of the most eagerly awaited events of the entire season is undoubtedly Donizetti's Anna Bolena, a work forever linked to Milan through the immortal performances of Maria Callas in 1957.
The return of the internationally acclaimed superstar tenor Juan Diego Flórez as Percy has generated enormous excitement among opera lovers worldwide. One of the greatest bel canto tenors of our age and a personal favourite of many opera enthusiasts, Flórez returns to his artistic home in Milan in a role requiring elegance, virtuosity, and heroic vocal brilliance.
The title role will be shared by two fascinating artists: the remarkable Vasilisa Berzhanskaya and Monica Conesa, making both casts essential viewing for devoted opera lovers eager to experience every facet of this extraordinary masterpiece.
Cast
Few operas possess a history as rich, as dramatic, and as inseparable from a particular city as Gaetano Donizetti's Anna Bolena. Nearly two centuries after its creation, the work remains one of the great monuments of Italian opera, a masterpiece that transformed its composer into an international celebrity, established a new model for Romantic tragedy, and, more than a century later, became the vehicle through which Maria Callas changed the course of operatic history.
Today, whenever Anna Bolena returns to Milan, it does so carrying the weight of generations. It evokes the world of Donizetti and the great prima donna Giuditta Pasta; it recalls the splendour of nineteenth-century Italian opera; and, above all, it summons the memory of Maria Callas, whose performances in 1957 elevated the work from an admired historical score to a living artistic myth.
The story begins in Milan during one of the most fertile periods of Italian musical life. By 1830, Gaetano Donizetti was already a respected composer, but he had not yet achieved the level of fame enjoyed by Rossini nor the enduring stature he would later attain. He needed a work capable of demonstrating the full extent of his dramatic imagination and musical sophistication.
That opportunity arrived with Anna Bolena.
The libretto, written by Felice Romani, drew inspiration from the tragic fate of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. The subject was perfectly suited to the tastes of the Romantic age: political intrigue, doomed love, royal grandeur, betrayal, madness, and death. Yet what distinguished the opera was not merely its historical narrative. Donizetti infused the drama with unprecedented psychological depth, creating a heroine of extraordinary emotional complexity.
Central to the creation of the work was the remarkable figure of Giuditta Pasta, one of the greatest singers of the nineteenth century and arguably the most influential soprano of her generation. Pasta was not merely the first interpreter of Anna Bolena; she was one of the principal artistic forces behind the opera itself.
Her voice defied conventional classification. Contemporary accounts describe an instrument of unusual range, dark colouring, dramatic intensity, and immense expressive power. Like Maria Callas more than a century later, Pasta was not admired solely for vocal beauty. Audiences were captivated by her ability to embody a character completely, transforming technical mastery into living drama.
Donizetti composed Anna with Pasta's singular gifts in mind. The result was a role demanding both dazzling virtuosity and profound emotional truth. The queen must be regal yet vulnerable, imperious yet broken, heroic yet tragically human. It remains one of the most challenging roles ever written for a soprano.
The premiere took place not at La Scala, as is often assumed, but at Milan's Teatro Carcano on 26 December 1830. The distinction is important historically, yet it does little to diminish the opera's association with La Scala and with the city itself.
The premiere was an extraordinary triumph.
Audiences immediately recognised that something exceptional had occurred. Critics praised the work's dramatic cohesion, emotional power, and musical invention. Donizetti was suddenly elevated into the first rank of Italian composers. Anna Bolena quickly spread throughout Europe, becoming one of the defining operas of the age.
The success at the Teatro Carcano resonated across Milan's entire operatic world, including La Scala, which already stood as the city's pre-eminent musical institution. Although the work's first performance occurred elsewhere, Anna Bolena belonged unmistakably to Milan. It was born from Milanese artistic culture, celebrated by Milanese audiences, and destined to become part of the city's musical identity.
Throughout the nineteenth century the opera enjoyed considerable popularity. Yet fashions changed. As the century progressed, audiences increasingly favoured the works of Verdi and, later, the verismo repertoire. The highly ornamented style known as bel canto gradually fell out of favour.
By the middle of the twentieth century, Anna Bolena had virtually disappeared from the international stage.
Many regarded it as an historical curiosity rather than a living masterpiece. The role was considered nearly impossible to cast. Few singers possessed the technical resources, dramatic intelligence, and vocal flexibility necessary to do justice to Donizetti's demanding score.
It was at this moment that Maria Callas entered the story.
Callas was already one of the most controversial and celebrated artists in the world when she undertook Anna Bolena at La Scala in 1957. Yet even by her extraordinary standards, the project was ambitious. Reviving a forgotten bel canto opera was not an obvious path to success. It involved artistic risk, immense preparation, and the willingness to challenge prevailing assumptions about what opera could be.
The production assembled some of the most remarkable artistic talents of the era. The legendary director Luchino Visconti brought aristocratic elegance, historical authenticity, and psychological sophistication to the staging. Every visual detail was crafted with extraordinary care. Costumes, movement, lighting, and dramatic pacing combined to create an atmosphere of grandeur worthy of Tudor tragedy.
At the centre of it all stood Callas.
What she achieved was far more than a successful interpretation. She revealed dimensions of the score that many had scarcely imagined existed. Rather than treating bel canto as an exhibition of vocal decoration, she demonstrated that every phrase, every ornament, and every musical gesture could serve dramatic truth.
In her hands, Anna became a fully realised human being.
The queen's dignity, terror, rage, tenderness, and ultimate psychological collapse emerged with unprecedented intensity. The famous final scene was transformed into a theatrical experience of almost unbearable emotional force. Audiences did not merely admire the singing; they experienced the tragedy.
The impact was seismic.
The performances became immediately legendary. Critics and musicians recognised that they were witnessing not only the triumph of a singer but the rebirth of an entire repertory. The modern bel canto revival, which would eventually restore dozens of forgotten masterpieces by Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini to the world's stages, can be traced directly to the artistic revolution initiated by Callas.
This is why Anna Bolena occupies a unique place within the mythology of La Scala.
Maria Callas sang many great roles in Milan. She was unforgettable as Norma, Medea, Lucia, La Traviata, and countless others. Yet Anna Bolena occupies a special category. It represents perhaps the purest synthesis of her artistic ideals: historical curiosity, vocal courage, dramatic truth, intellectual seriousness, and total theatrical commitment.
For many opera lovers, it remains the role most closely associated with her genius.
Whenever the opera returns to La Scala, the memory of those nights in 1957 inevitably hovers over the theatre. It is not a burden so much as a presence—a reminder of one of the defining moments in operatic history.
That is precisely why the forthcoming performances of Anna Bolena in 2027 have generated such anticipation among opera enthusiasts around the world.
The opera itself is magnificent. The historical resonance is unparalleled. The venue is sacred ground for lovers of the art form. And the cast promises performances worthy of the occasion, with Juan Diego Flórez bringing his incomparable bel canto experience and elegance to the role of Lord Percy.
For audiences attending these performances, the experience will be more than a visit to the opera house. It will be a journey through nearly two centuries of musical history. They will encounter Donizetti's youthful masterpiece, remember the genius of Giuditta Pasta, celebrate the enduring vitality of bel canto, and feel the lingering presence of Maria Callas, whose artistry ensured that Anna Bolena would never again disappear into silence.
In this sense, every performance of Anna Bolena at La Scala becomes an act of remembrance as well as an act of renewal.
The opera was born in Milan. It was reborn in Milan. And each return to the city reaffirms its place among the immortal achievements of Italian musical culture.
For those fortunate enough to attend both casts in 2027, the experience will be especially meaningful. To hear this masterpiece twice, interpreted by different artists on the very stage that witnessed some of its most glorious chapters, is to participate in a living tradition stretching from Donizetti and Giuditta Pasta to Maria Callas and beyond.
Few operas can offer such a privilege. Few theatres can embody so much history.
And perhaps no work reminds us more powerfully that opera, at its greatest, is not merely entertainment but memory made alive.
THE RAKE'S PROGRESS
Igor Stravinsky
April 17–30, 2027
A major modern masterpiece conducted by the incomparable Riccardo Chailly, bringing together a distinguished international cast.
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MACBETH
Giuseppe Verdi
May 4–22, 2027
Another Shakespearean masterpiece conducted by Myung-Whun Chung, who continues to shape the Verdian identity of his first season as Music Director.
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DON QUICHOTTE
Jules Massenet
May 23 – June 14, 2027
A rare and enchanting masterpiece presented in a new production by Damiano Michieletto.
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I PURITANI
Vincenzo Bellini
June 15 – July 1, 2027
Bellini's final masterpiece closes the main season with a brilliant display of bel canto artistry.
Special attention will focus on the magnificent soprano Adela Zaharia, whose Elvira promises to be one of the vocal sensations of the year. With her dazzling technique, radiant tone, and compelling dramatic presence, she is ideally suited to Bellini's demanding heroine.
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IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA
Gioachino Rossini
October 2–29, 2027
Rossini's beloved comic masterpiece returns with a fresh and lively cast.
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DIDO AND ÆNEAS
Henry Purcell
October 26 – November 16, 2027
A fascinating new production of Purcell's masterpiece closes this extraordinary journey through four centuries of opera.
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A SEASON FOR THE AGES
The 2026–2027 season at Teatro alla Scala stands as one of the most ambitious, star-studded, and artistically exciting seasons in recent memory. From the historic opening night of Verdi's Otello, led by the electrifying Brian Jagde and the masterful Myung-Whun Chung, through the glamorous appearances of Olga Peretyatko, Juan Diego Flórez, Adela Zaharia, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, René Pape, Luca Salsi, Eleonora Buratto, and many others, every month offers performances worthy of the theatre's legendary history.
For opera lovers, Milan will once again become the center of the musical universe. The excitement surrounding December 7th is only the beginning of a remarkable journey through Verdi, Mozart, Puccini, Donizetti, Bellini, Bizet, Massenet, Purcell, and Stravinsky. A season of unforgettable voices, visionary productions, and historic nights awaits at the world's most celebrated opera house.
