The Greek National Opera’s new season programme for 2023/24 in 36 seconds

The Greek National Opera’s 2023/24 season programme –conceived by GNO Artistic Director Giorgos Koumendakis– is bringing a fresh line-up to the Stavros Niarchos Hall and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus that features classic works of the repertoire in new productions, the first Wagner work to be staged at the SNFCC, one new opera, major co-productions with international houses, leading conductors, directors, and set designers, famous soloists, new ballet productions, revivals of popular opera and ballet productions, as well as the third work to be commissioned for The Artist on the Composer programme, not to mention an ongoing major tribute marking the centennial anniversary of Maria Callas’ birth. This programme is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach. Of the new opera and ballet productions being presented as part of the 2023/24 season, the Stavros Niarchos Hall will be hosting Les Éclairs by Philippe Hersant, with a libretto by Jean Echenoz; a double bill of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci directed by Nikos Karathanos; Brecht and Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny directed by Yannis Houvardas; Wagner’s Die Walküre directed by John Fulljames; and the ballets Carmen and Coppélia choreographed by Johan Inger and Edward Clug respectively, while Puccini’s Turandot –directed by Andrei Șerban– is to be staged at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to mark the centennial anniversary of Puccini’s death. The GNO is further expanding its co-production strategy this season, working with the Opéra Comique (Paris) on Les Éclairs, the Royal Danish Opera on Die Walküre, and NEON for the third edition of The Artist on the Composer programme, commissioning Ioanna Pantazopoulou. Revivals of major past opera and ballet productions will be bringing Verdi’s La traviata, directed by Konstantinos Rigos, to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, while the Stavros Niarchos Hall will be hosting Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk directed by Fanny Ardant, and Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker choreographed by Konstantinos Rigos. To honour the memory of the great director Graham Vick, who recently passed away, the GNO is also reviving his production of Puccini’s La bohème, which he staged at the GNO during the 2007/08 season. For its season 2023/24 performances, the GNO will be welcoming such world-renowned Greek and international artists as the globally acclaimed Greek set and costume designer Chloé Obolensky, British designer Leslie Travers, the leading directors Andrei Șerban, John Fulljames, Yannis Houvardas, and Nikos Karathanos, the choreographers Johan Inger and Edward Clug, and a full roster of famous soloists, including Nadine Sierra, Ekaterina Gubanova, Catherine Foster, Freddie De Tommaso, Dimitri Platanias, Svetlana Sozdateleva, Cellia Costea, Sergey Semishkur, Vassiliki Karayanni, Dionysios Sourbis, Yannis Christopoulos, Tassos Apostolou, Arsen Soghomonyan, Tommi Hakala, Marina Prudenskaya, Stefan Vinke, Allison Oakes, and Petros Magoulas. New season productions are to be conducted by both internationally acclaimed and up-and-coming maestros, including Paolo Carignani, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Philippe Auguin, Ondrej Olos, Fabrizio Ventura, Miltos Logiadis and Yorgos Ziavras. In June 2024, the GNO will be presenting a concert tribute to Manolis Kalomiris spotlighting the composer’s links to the GNO and showcasing two of his unknown works. The tribute programme marking the centennial anniversary of Maria Callas’ birth will be reaching its peak from September through December with, among other events, an opera gala at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Unboxing Callas: An Archival Exploration of the Dimitris Pyromallis Collection and the GNO Archive exhibition at the National Library of Greece, and a documentary on the unsung Greek years of Greece’s great diva. Across the first three days of Orthodox Easter Holy Week in 2024, the GNO will also be presenting its Second Sacred Music Festival at monuments, museums, and churches set within the Plaka neighbourhood in the very heart of Athens. Tickets for our September–December 2023 productions go on sale 31 July 2023 at the GNO Box Office and via .