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LNOBT’s 100th Season Marks the Return of Lithuanian Performers

LNOBT’s 100th Season Marks the Return of Lithuanian Performers

Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre is proudly announcing the beginning of ticket sales for the new 2019-2020 Season. The Anniversary 100th Season shall offer a number of unique performances by world-famous Lithuanians: opera soloists Asmik Grigorian, Justina Gringytė, Kristian Benedikt, Edgaras Montvidas, Kostas Smoriginas, Merūnas Vitulskis, ballerina Jurgita Dronina and conductor Giedrė Šlekytė.

“For the 100th season, it was our wholehearted goal to open up the main Lithuanian theatre stage to a broad circle of best Lithuanian artists. We hope that our theatregoers shall enjoy and appreciate this initiative”, - says general manager of the LNOBT Jonas Sakalauskas.    

The new season will be launched on 13 September with the premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s scintillating operetta “Candide”. The production was already presented in 2011 at the Berlin State Opera, where it was directed by the elegant Frenchman Vincent Boussard. At the LNOBT he has previously directed “Manon” and “I Capuleti e i Montecchi”. The premiere performances of “Candide” will be conducted by LNOBT’s artistic director of opera Sesto Quatrini. 

Then, in October, LNOBT will present another exceptional premiere: famous Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili will produce a dance opera – such is the genre of his newest, never before performed work “Forever and a Day”. The music for this production was written by a young Lithuanian composer Rita Mačiliūnaitė. The dance opera, exploring different ideas on love, will also require the participation of opera soloists; mezzo-soprano Justina Gringytė, winner of the Young Artist Award at the Opera Awards 2015, is one of them.

In February the main stage of the LNOBT shall be graced by the characters from Sergei Prokofiev’s opera “The Gambler”. Directed by Vasily Barkhatov, this production was first presented in 2018 at the Theater Basel; “The Gambler” was conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas, who will also take the conductor’s podium in Vilnius. The production will also bring soprano Asmik Grigorian back to the stage of the LNOBT – the singer recently won Best Singer award at the Opera Awards 2019. Asmik will be joined by two other famous Lithuanian singers, mezzo-sopranos Justina Gringytė and Ieva Prudnikovaitė.

In May 2020 LNOBT shall present two premieres: first of all, Gaetano Donizetti’s masterpiece “Anna Bolena”, directed by Andrea de Rosa (Italy) and conducted by Sesto Quatrini, which will be a co-production between LNOBT and Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Then, at the end of the month, we shall present a beautiful gift to all fans of ballet – the theatre will unveil the new production of “Giselle”, produced by famous Spanish choreographer Lola de Avila.

LNOBT’s regular repertoire is also full of pleasant surprises and exciting performances. In October the theatre will introduce the debut of conductor Giedrė Šlekytė, who is already well-known all over Europe – here in Vilnius she shall conduct W. A. Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro” with famous Lithuanian bass-baritone Kostas Smoriginas. In November LNOBT’s principal soprano Viktorija Miškūnaitė will make her debut as Cio-Cio San in G. Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”. In January 2020 LNOBT will witness the return of tenor Merūnas Vitulskis who will perform the role of Rodolfo in G. Puccini’s “La Boheme”, and then in February we will welcome back tenor Kristian Benedikt, who recently enjoyed a very successful debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York – at the LNOBT he will sing Prince Calaf in “Turandot” and principal role in G. Verdi’s “Ernani”.   

In April LNOBT will celebrate famous tenor Edgaras Montvidas’ 20 years of career on stage with his debut in the performances of J. Massenet’s “Manon”.  

LNOBT’s 100th Season promises to be an exciting, adventurous and uplifting journey through the beautiful world of opera and ballet. We hope you will join in!