The Greek National Opera Presents its 2025/26 Season
“Opera born of the past, ahead of its time”
Athens, Berlin, June 25, 2025 – For the 2025/26 season, the Greek National Opera (GNO) once again builds an impressive bridge between Greece's cultural heritage and contemporary artistic impulses. Under the artistic direction of Giorgos Koumendakis, the house continues its consistent path of openness and internationalization: with strong co-productions, new partnerships, and a diverse yet distinctive artistic signature, the GNO has firmly established itself on the European opera map in recent years. For the first time, the GNO will also embark on two international tours. At the heart of the new season are productions that bring past and present into a productive dialogue. This becomes especially evident at the very start of the season:
Epidaurus: Return to a Mythical Place:
A highlight of the season will be the revival of Cherubini’s Medea at the ancient theater of Epidaurus — the very location that made musical history in 1961 when Maria Callas performed there in this role. This historic performance remains an iconic moment in Greek opera history. The GNO now reconnects with this legacy: in a one-time performance for 12,000 spectators, Anna Pirozzi will take on the legendary role. Direction, set design, and costumes follow the original version by Alexis Minotis and Yannis Tsarouchis, making the evening’s historical dimension palpable.
A New Work from a Deep Personal and Collective History
In Requiem for the End of Love, three of Greece’s most prominent artists come together for a long-awaited collaboration: composer Giorgos Koumendakis, director and choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou, and conductor Teodor Currentzis. The starting point is a work that originated in the 1990s as an artistic engagement with the AIDS crisis. The new version for GNO’s grand stage transforms this topic into a contemporary music theater event about loss, memory, and the fragility of human relationships. The premiere is scheduled for January 2026.
Donizetti’s Anna Bolena: Dialogue Between Past and Present
Donizetti’s Anna Bolena is also exemplary of the season’s guiding principle of bringing past and present into a productive dialogue. In the new production by Themelis Glynatsis, the historical plot encounters a contemporary visual language, imbuing Anne Boleyn’s tragic story with new relevance. Historical costumes and modern staging elements merge into a captivating reflection on power, identity, and perspectives on history in today’s context. Jacques Lacombe conducts, with the young Greek soprano Maria Kosovitsa debuting in the title role.
Bizet’s Carmen: A Look at the Origins of a Classic
Bizet’s Carmen will also be presented in a special version that emphasizes the cultural heritage of opera art. This production, a cooperation with Palazzetto Bru Zane – Centre de Musique Romantique Française, the Rouen Opera House, and Opéra Royal Versailles, reconstructs the Paris premiere of 1875. Great care is taken to recreate the scenic aesthetics (sets, costumes, lighting) of that time, offering the audience an authentic impression of Bizet’s masterpiece in its original historical context.
Rediscoveries of the Greek Repertoire
In addition to the international repertoire, the GNO also sets new accents in presenting national musical history. Flora Mirabilis by Spyridon Samaras will be performed in concert — a little-known work by the Greek composer whose melodic opulence recalls Puccini and is rarely heard outside Greece.
International Collaborations and Renowned Guests
The season includes seven new productions, among them Ponchielli’s La Gioconda as the grand opening premiere in October 2025. This co-production with the Salzburg Easter Festival and the Royal Opera House London will be directed by Oliver Mears. Donizetti’s Anna Bolena will be staged in a new production by Themelis Glynatsis, while Bizet’s Carmen will be presented for the first time in its original 1875 Paris version in collaboration with Palazzetto Bru Zane and French partners.
The GNO Ballet will present a new Giselle production as well as Konstantinos Rigos’ choreographies of Swan Lake and The Golden Age. A playful introduction to the world of music will be offered to young audiences with the new family musical Isadora Duck.
International guests of the season include Anna Pirozzi, Aleksandra Kurzak, Gaëlle Arquez, Roberto Alagna, Marina Viotti, Anita Rachvelishvili, Charles Castronovo, Marcelo Puente, and Andrea Carè. Greek artists include Dimitri Platanias, Tassis Christoyannis, and Cellia Costea.
International Tours
For the first time, the Greek National Opera is organizing two international tours in the 2025/26 season with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF): La traviata will tour Beijing and Shanghai in China in September, and The Golden Age will tour Cyprus and Italy in September/October 2025.
The International Opera Awards 2025 in Athens
Beyond its own program, the GNO underscores its growing international role: on November 13, 2025, the renowned International Opera Awards will be held for the first time in Athens. Dubbed the “Oscars of the opera world” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), the event will take place in the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC). The Athens ceremony is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), further enhancing GNO’s artistic reach.
Giorgos Koumendakis: “The Opera as a Living Organism”
“Our opera understands itself as a living organism, constantly engaging anew with past and present,” says Giorgos Koumendakis. “In the 2025/26 season, we boldly confront the major themes of our time without losing sight of our cultural heritage. The strength of the opera of the future lies precisely in the dialogue between generations and aesthetics.”
The 2025/26 season is once again generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
The full chronological program of the 2025/26 season can be found here.