“La Bohème” by Puccini – the first opera title of 2026
News публикувана на: 19.01.2026
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One of the most beloved titles in the world operatic repertoire – La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini – will open the 2026 opera season of the State Opera – Stara Zagora.
The first opera production of the new year will be presented on two evenings: January 21 and 23 at 7:00 PM, on the stage of the Stara Zagora Opera House.
The story of young, idealistic artists, of fragile love, freedom of spirit, and the power of friendship will once again move audiences with its intense emotional charge and timeless musical beauty. La Bohème is a work that for more than a century has touched generations of spectators with its sincerity, humanity, and universal messages—an opera in which the joy of life and the pain of loss coexist in inseparable unity.
The production is among the most successful and long-running performances in the repertoire of the Stara Zagora Opera. Its premiere took place in 2017, after which it was also presented with great success on the stage of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia. The performance was filmed by Bulgarian National Television and continues to enjoy lasting interest from both opera and television audiences, establishing itself as one of the landmark titles in the contemporary history of the theatre.
The director of La Bohème is Ognyan Draganov. The set design is by the world-renowned Romanian artist Cătălin Ionescu-Arbore, conceived in a cinematic perspective, while the costumes are by Tsvetanka Petkova-Stoynova. Together, they create a complete visual world that recreates the atmosphere of late 19th-century Paris.
On the conductor’s podium will be Maestro Mattia Rondelli (Italy)—a conductor with a successful international career and a student of eminent figures such as Piero Bellugi, Jorma Panula, and Donato Renzetti. His biography includes remarkable collaborations with the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and Maestro Valery Gergiev. Mattia Rondelli is also the initiator of numerous educational and social projects, including Making Music for Everyone, and serves as a visiting professor of orchestral conducting at the University of Illinois in Chicago and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. We recall that on September 5, Maestro Rondelli conducted Verdi’s Nabucco “On the Shore of Ancient Seuthopolis” on the open-air stage at Koprinka Reservoir.
In the performances on January 21 and 23, audiences will enjoy a brilliant international cast of soloists. In the role of Mimì on both evenings will appear the charming soprano Anastasia Antropova, an artist with an international profile and elite education. She studied piano, singing, and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, further refined her skills in Milan, and in 2023 earned a Master’s degree in vocal performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Her repertoire includes leading roles from Italian, French, and Slavic operatic classics, and her performances are associated with prestigious opera festivals and symphony orchestras in Europe and the United States.
Rodolfo will be sung by Gyorgi Tsutskovski, principal soloist of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, with an impressive international career and appearances on prestigious stages and festivals in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, as well as Director of the Ohrid Summer Festival since 2024.
Highly anticipated is the first appearance of the world-renowned Bulgarian baritone Kiril Manolov in the role of Marcello in this production. An artist with an outstanding international career and collaborations with conductors of the stature of Riccardo Muti, Manolov returns to Stara Zagora in a role that adds a new dimension to his long-standing, meaningful connection with the Stara Zagora Opera, on whose stage he has created several landmark roles—most recently his remarkable portrayal of Gérard in the premiere production of Giordano’s Andrea Chénier.
The role of Musetta will mark the debut of Cuban soprano Saray Díaz, a member of the Stara Zagora Opera Chorus, who has already attracted attention with vivid solo performances in thematic concerts and opera productions.
Colline will be performed by the magnificent bass Ivaylo Dzhurov. The role of Schaunard will be alternated by baritones Ivan Kabamitov and Teodor Petkov, while the doyen of the Stara Zagora Opera, Alexander Marulev, will appear in the character roles of Benoît and Alcindoro. The performances feature the Orchestra and Chorus of the State Opera – Stara Zagora, as well as children from the Opera and Ballet Youth Studio of the theatre.
With La Bohème, the Stara Zagora Opera sets a powerful beginning to its new 2026 opera season—with a production that continues to move and inspire.
Don’t miss La Bohème again on February 9!
Best of luck!
