Les Arts closes its opera season with Turandot in a stunning production by Àlex Ollé under the direction of Sir Mark Elder

The artistic director of Les Arts, Jesús Iglesias Noriega, presented this title today, accompanied by the musical director and principal conductor of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV), Sir Mark Elder, and Anna Ponces, the assistant stage director and in charge of the revival in Valencia of the production by Àlex Ollé.

Iglesias Noriega pointed out that Turandot is the perfect closing act for Les Arts' twentieth season. “Puccini's last opera is the favorite title of the Valencian public, who, once again, have sold out all the performances. It is also a very special work for the OCV, previously conducted by Zubin Mehta and Lorin Maazel, and now taken on by our director, Sir Mark Elder, with two of the most beloved performers among the audience, Ekaterina Semenchuk and Gregory Kunde.”

In this sense, the artistic director has pointed out the great role of the Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana, a fundamental piece in the work, accompanied by the Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats. and the Veus Juntes Choral School.

The British maestro, who once declared in an interview with The Guardian , “In another life, I should have been Italian,” is one of the great conductors of this repertoire, as he demonstrated at the beginning of this season with his exceptional production of Verdi’s Luisa Miller . According to Elder, Italian opera demands a very precise blend of theatricality, rhythm, and emotional truth. Critics and audiences alike have been captivated by his interpretations of Turandot in such prestigious venues as London’s Covent Garden and the Paris Opera.

Àlex Ollé presents in Spain his stunning production of Puccini's last opera for the New National Theatre Tokyo and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, which caused a sensation with its monumental scale and innovative dramaturgy. His staging, with set design by Alfons Flores, costumes by Lluc Castells, and lighting by Urs Schönebaum, makes power a central concept, with Princess Turandot and the Emperor at the top and their people at the bottom.

Ollé also portrays the icy princess as a woman whose hatred of men stems from the events of her past. This fact, the Catalan director points out, is essential for understanding the ending of this opera, which remained unfinished after Puccini's death and was completed by Franco Alfano with a denouement in which Turandot surrenders to the love of Prince Calaf. As the director recalls, Puccini disliked happy endings, so his production presents a surprising epilogue more in line with the composer's vision.

With Turandot , two of the most beloved performers among Valencian audiences return to Les Arts. Ekaterina Semenchuk, who has garnered the greatest ovations in the Main Hall for her roles as Azucena, Preziosilla, and Lady Macbeth, is back. The Russian mezzo-soprano sings the role of the bloodthirsty princess, one of the most feared in the dramatic repertoire for the power and stamina it demands.

Gregory Kunde also reveals himself as a Puccini artist with the role of Calaf, who sings the famous Nessun dorma , in his eighth foray into the Calatrava building, where he has previously worked on Otello , La forza del destino , Rossini's Stabat Mater , Samson et Dalila , I vespri siciliani , Idomeneo and Peter Grimes .

Carolina López Moreno, one of the most captivating young sopranos for her technical prowess, expressive intensity, and stage presence, makes her theater debut as Liù, the slave of Timur, the dethroned Tartar king. Hailed by international critics as “the birth of a star,” she has triumphed on stages such as the San Carlo in Naples, the BBC Proms, the Rome Opera, the Liceu, and the New National Theatre in Tokyo.

The renowned bass Liang Li embodies Timur, in his fourth appearance at Les Arts, where he has tackled Rossini's Stabat Mater , as well as Il trovatore and Tristan und Isolde with Zubin Mehta.

Also making his debut at the Valencia opera house is Barcelona-born baritone Jan Antem (Ping), while Cordoba-born tenor (Pang) and Bilbao-born tenor Mikeldi Atxalandabaso (Pong) return to the cast. Completing the ensemble are Josep Fadó (Altoum and Prince of Persia) and Agshin Khudaverdiyev, a singer from the Cente de Perfeccionament (A Mandarin).

Les Arts reminds you that the last remaining tickets for Turandot can be purchased through the theater's various sales channels: box offices, the sales line 96 197 59 00 and its website .