2025/2026 Season Opera at the New National Theatre Tokyo
We are delighted to announce the 2025/2026 Season Opera at the New National Theatre Tokyo.
10 Productions in Total including 2 New Productions
- La Bohème
- Wozzeck New Production
- Orfeo ed Euridice
- Die Fledermaus
- Rigoletto
- Don Giovanni
- La Traviata
- L'elisir d'amore
- Werther
- Elektra New Production
- Educational Programme for High School Students Madama Butterfly
Message from Kazushi Ono, Artistic Director of Opera
To all Supporters of the New National Theatre Tokyo and all Opera Fans,
Our new productions for the 2025/2026 season are Alban Berg's Wozzeck and Richard Strauss's Elektra, two works that caused a sensation when they were premiered in Germany in the first half of twentieth century.
Marking the 90th anniversary of Berg's death in 2025, we present Wozzeck, the only opera he completed. The original play by the writer Georg Büchner, who died prematurely, was based on a true story of a man from the lower class who suffered mentally and murdered his common-law wife. A century later, Berg set this into an opera using an atonal language. Eminent director Richard Jones will direct - it will be the first time he will create a new production for the New National Theatre Tokyo. I have worked with him on The Fiery Angel at La Monnaie when I was the music director there and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Teatro alla Scala, and I was extremely impressed by his ability to draw the viewer into the psychological drama in the theatrical space with precision but also with exceeding amounts of energy. I am very much looking forward to seeing how he will portray Wozzeck, another psychological drama on the theme of madness. The excellent cast includes Thomas Johannes Mayer as Wozzeck, Jennifer Davis as Marie, John Daszak as Tambourmajor, and Arnold Bezuyen as the Hauptmann.
Richard Strauss's opera Elektra was first performed nearly 15 years before the premiere of Wozzeck. Based on Greek tragedy, the opera is about Elektra's terrible revenge on her mother and her lover who murdered her beloved father. Directing this new production is Johannes Erath, making his debut at the NNTT. Initially he worked as an orchestral musician at the Volksoper Wien and at the Orchesterakademie of the Vienna Philharmonic, but subsequently switched to opera directing. I had the opportunity to collaborate with him on the world premiere of Der Mieter, a contemporary opera by a German composer at Oper Frankfurt, and his approach to the production, based on a meticulous reading of the score as a professional musician, demonstrated his boundless abilities in staging opera as "Gesamtkunstwerk." An opera which marked the first collaboration between Strauss and Hofmannsthal who achieved a true union of music and text, this is a production not to be missed. Elektra will be sung by Aile Asszonyi, who has appeared at the Bayreuth Festival, her mother Klytämnestra by Mihoko Fujimura, her brother Orest by Egils Silins, and her stepfather Aegisth by Kazuma Kudo, who played the role of the evil usurper Grigory in Boris Godunov.
We open the season with our repertory production of Puccini's La Bohème, an everlasting ode to youth. Esteemed maestro Paolo Olmi returns to conduct, and Marina Costa- Jackson sings Mimi. We look forward to hearing her richly expressive voice resonate in the New National Theatre Tokyo. Listen out also for Luciano Ganci as Rodolfo, Massimo Cavalletti as Marcello, and the ensemble of the male voices.
Saburo Teshigawara's production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice beautifully combines music and space, along with the breathtaking dance scenes. Orfeo will be sung by contralto Sara Mingardo, making her debut at the NNTT. It may seem as it were a different work compared to when sung by a countertenor. Conductor Ryuichiro Sonoda, who puts his heart and soul into opera, takes the baton.
Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus was first performed in 1874 in Vienna, where a year earlier, the World's Fair had been held, and shortly after the country was hit by the financial crisis. This operetta reflects such turbulent times. Conducted by Daniel Cohen, the fine cast led by Thomas Blondelle, Sabina Cvilak, and celebrated Japanese countertenor Daichi Fujiki as Prince Orlofsky, will invite you all to the glamourous ball.
In Verdi's Rigoletto, the world's leading baritone Vladimir Stoyanov takes the title role, who will undoubtedly portray the character with psychological depth. Gilda is sung by Eri Nakamura, who is making great strides year by year. The Duke of Mantua will be sung by Lawrence Brownlee who previously sang Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the NNTT. Daniele Callegari conducts this top-notch cast.
Mozart's Don Giovanni is an opera that demands individuality from each of the characters, and we have been able to bring together such a cast that includes Vito Priante, Daniel Giulianini, Irina Lungu, and Sara Cortolezzis. Connecting the fine solo voices and the exquisite blend of the voices to the drama is conductor Norichika Iimori.
Carolina López Moreno who features in La Traviata has recently emerged on the international stage, rapidly advancing her career. We are delighted to hear her Violetta, which has been praised for its extraordinary emotional expression. Antonio Corianò sings Alfredo, and the veteran baritone Roberto Frontali takes the role of Germont.
Donizetti, the composer of L'elisir d'amore, was born into a very poor family and was educated at a charitable music school from an early age. Looking at Donizetti's subsequent development, one cannot help but think that his early education had a profound effect on the gifted child. He began composing operas from his early 20s and L'elisir d'amore was his 40th opera. It's a humourous romp in which the fates of Adina (Francesca Pia Vitale), Nemorino (Matteo Desole), and Belcore (Simone Alberghini) are at the mercy of Dulcamara (Marco Filippo Romano).
Werther is Massenet's masterpiece. International star, Charles Castronovo makes his long-awaited debut at the NNTT as Werther. Charlotte is sung by Aya Wakizono, who is also making her name internationally. It is conducted by the versatile maestro Andriy Yurkevych.
We look forward to welcoming you all to the 2025/2026 season at the New National Theatre Tokyo.