The Palau de les Arts returns to the French repertoire with Manon by Massenet

• Lorin Maazel and Jordi Bernàcer from Valencia share the musical direction of this successful co-production of Los Angeles Opera and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin
• Tenor Vittorio Grigolo and soprano Ailyn Pérez are finalizing rehearsals at the Valencian arts center

Valencia (1.12.10).- The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía returns to the French repertoire with Manon by Jules Massenet, the second operatic production of the 2010-2011 Season, which will premiere on December 9.

Lorin Maazel is currently rehearsing the work, whose cast is headed by American soprano Ailyn Pérez and Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo.

Ailyn Pérez is one of the rising stars of the operatic scene. Her success in La Traviata during a Covent Garden tour of Japan has placed the singer in the international spotlight. The diva of Hispanic origin makes her debut in Valencia as the young Manon, a character immortalized by Abbé Prévost in the novel Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut. The American soprano won second prize at Operalia in 2006, a competition promoted by Plácido Domingo and held in Valencia that year.

Vittorio Grigolo performs the role of Chevalier des Grieux following his acclaimed debut in the part at London's Covent Garden. The specialized press hailed the Arezzo-born tenor's performance as "one of the most extraordinary debuts in many years." Grigolo has worked with conductors of the caliber of Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Myung-Whun Chung, Daniel Oren, and Antonio Pappano. He has also launched a promising recording career, already boasting a platinum record. At the Palau de les Arts, he has sung Gounod's Faust, Verdi's La Traviata, and his Requiem.

Lorin Maazel will conduct Manon on December 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21. Jordi Bernàcer, from Alcoy, will make his debut in the pit of the Palau de les Arts for the final two performances of this opera on December 28 and 30.

Vincent Paterson is the director of this co-production between the Los Angeles Opera and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. The American director and choreographer boasts an extensive career in the performing arts, as well as in film, television, and advertising. Among his most notable collaborations in the entertainment world are his work with Madonna and Michael Jackson.

Artur Ruciński (Lescaut), Raymond Aceto (Count des Grieux), Emilio Sánchez (Guillot de Morfontaine), Andrea Porta (Monsieur de Brétigny), Ekaterina Metlova (Javotte) and Simon Lim (Innkeeper) complete the cast of Manon, which also includes singers from the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo: Ilona Mataradze (Poussette), Natalia Lunar (Rosette), Giovanni Tristacci (First Guard), Aldo Heo (Second Guard), Alessandra della Croce (Servant) and Jaehwan Jeong (Seminary Porter).