On March 14, 2017 Maria José Siri will sing the title role of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at the Teatro Regio Turin, in a production by Vittorio Borrelli conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, the first of five performances running through March 26, 2017. Alongside her Gregory Kunde will interpret the role of Des Grieux, Dalibor Jenis that of Lescaut, Carlo Lepore Geronte and Francesco Marsiglia Edmondo.

The performance will be broadcast live in many cinemas around the world and at 9:15pm on the Italian TV channel RAI5.

The Uruguayan soprano feels very close to the role: “ Vocally I feel very comfortable as Manon, which, though very demanding, is a lot of fun to perform. It is a very elaborate score, where passion dominates in a very visceral form. In Manon Lescaut Puccini is very symphonic, and I can distinctly feel a great theatrical composer who manages to convey in a very direct manner emotions such as as passion and desires, which are the soul of this opera. The role offers many chances to shine, with its many opportunities to engage in mezze voci and pianissimos; and I feel that the personality of the protagonist herself is very different from all the other Puccini’s heroines.

Maria José Siri just scored a triumph in the inauguration of the 2016/2017 season of the Teatro alla Scala as the protagonist of Madama Butterfly. In addition to Manon Lescaut in Turin, her 2016/2017 calendar includes Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Marek Janoswki, with the Teatro alla Scala at the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow conducted by Riccardo Chailly and with the Maggio Musicale Orchestra under Myung-Whun Chung, Manon Lescaut at the Grand Théâtre of Geneva and the Teatro San Carlo of Naples, Andrea Chénier at the Rome Opera House, Andrea Chénier and Tosca at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Tosca at the Semperoper of Dresden as well as the title role of Madama Butterfly at the Macerata Opera Festival.

Information about Manon Lescaut at the Teatro Regio Turin:

Maria José Siri / Svetlana Kasyan (Manon Lescaut), Gregory Kunde / Carlo Ventre (il cavaliere Renato Des Grieux), Dalibor Jenis (Lescaut), Carlo Lepore (Geronte di Ravoir), Francesco Marsiglia (Edmondo), Saverio Pugliese (il maestro di ballo), Clarissa Leonardi (un musico), Cullen Gandy (un lampionaio), Dario Giorgelè (Sergente degli arcieri and L’oste), Cristian Saita (un comandante di marina), Francesco Salas (un parrucchiere, mime).

Vittorio Borrelli (regia), Gianandrea Noseda (direttore d’orchestra)

Performances: March 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26.

http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/en/node/6089/locandina