FIDELIO, Beethoven's ode to freedom, returns to the Palau de les Arts for the 4th Mediterranean Festival

The only opera composed by the Bonn-born author is part of the program for the IV Festival del Mediterrani, which this year is presented under the motto “Amor és llibertat” until June 26.

Zubin Mehta is again conducting this production, which opened the first opera season at the Palau de les Arts in October 2006. According to the Bombay-born conductor, "there is no other opera like Fidelio, in which the victory of the forces of good over evil is portrayed so clearly."

Pier'Alli's stage direction received unanimous critical acclaim and impressed Plácido Domingo himself, who chose it to open the 2007-2008 season at Los Angeles Opera. It is also the first Valencian opera production to be released on DVD and Blu-ray.

For this revival, the arts center has assembled a cast of leading figures in the operatic world. American soprano Jennifer Wilson takes over the role of Leonore from Waltraud Meier. Wilson returns to Valencia after her success as Brünnhilde in Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle , which catapulted her to fame as one of the great Wagnerian voices.

Three internationally renowned tenors will bring Florestan to life: Peter Seiffert, Jonas Kaufmann, and Lance Ryan. Peter Seiffert will perform the role on June 5, 8, and 11. The German tenor previously sang in Beethoven's only opera at the opening of the Palau de les Arts' inaugural opera season. Seiffert has enjoyed a long and distinguished career on the most prestigious stages and is considered one of the leading tenors of the German repertoire. In Valencia, he also sang the role of Siegmund in the 2007 premiere of Die Walküre .

German tenor Jonas Kaufmann, one of the leading operatic stars of our time, will make his Spanish operatic debut on June 22nd in Fidelio. With a full schedule until 2015, the Munich native has made room for the Palau de les Arts after performing in the world's leading opera houses. Kaufmann boasts a wide-ranging repertoire encompassing lieder, verismo, French opera, and heldentenor roles, and has also launched a successful recording career. He has performed the role of Florestan in Paris, Munich, and Zurich, where he received unanimous critical and public acclaim.

Canadian tenor Lance Ryan launched his international career after his performance as Siegfried in the 2009 Valencian Ring Cycle. Following his portrayal of Aeneas in Les Troyens in Valencia, he has become one of the most promising tenors. Among his greatest achievements is his appearance at the prestigious Bayreuth Festival in 2013, the Wagner Year. Ryan will sing the role of Florestan in the final performance of Fidelio on June 26.

Danish tenor Stephen Milling, another of the great voices of the Valencian Ring Cycle, sings the role of Rocco. Yevgueni Nikitin (Don Pizarro), Sandra Trattnigg (Marzelline), Javier Agulló (First Prisoner), and Mika Kares (Second Prisoner) are also part of this cast, which features the renowned English bass Robert Lloyd in the role of Don Fernando.