On July 11, 2019, Irina Lungu will sing Violetta in La traviata at the Arena di Verona, the first of three performances running through July 25. Andrea Battistoni / Daniel Oren will conduct the new production by Franco Zeffirelli. Pavel Petrov will sing Alfredo and Simone Piazzola Giorgio Germont .

Irina Lungu has made her debut at the Arena di Verona in 2009 and has performed roles such as Micaela in Carmen, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette at the famed Roman arena. While she sang Violetta in La traviata at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona ten years ago, this will be her first take on the role at the Arena. The Russian soprano has sung the part all over the world, from La Scala to the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera, Zurich, Madrid, Berlin, Rome, Tokyo, Seoul and Moscow and has appeared as Violetta about 200 times since her role debut in 2006.

Following this Traviata, Irina Lungu will kick off her 2019/20 season in the same role at the Vienna State Opera in September.

[Photo: Amati e Bacciardi]