Tosca

Giacomo Puccini

Melodrama in three acts
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
after Victorien Sardou

From 28. September 2025 until 19. October 2025

Dates & Tickets

Duration :
2 H. 30 Min. Inkl. Pause after 1st part after approx. 55 Min.
Language:
In Italian with German and English surtitles.
More information:
Introduction 45 min before the performance.

Music Direction:

Marco Armiliato,

Marco Armiliato

Marco Armiliato studied piano at the Paganini Conservatory in his hometown of Genoa and began his conducting career in 1989 with “L’elisir d’amore” in Lima, Peru. In 1995, he made his debut with “Il barbiere di Siviglia” at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, followed a year later by “Andrea Chénier” at the Vienna State Opera and “La Bohème” at the San Francisco Opera. Since then, his career has taken him to the world’s most prestigious opera houses, including the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real in Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, La Scala in Milan, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. At the Salzburg Festival, he has conducted “Tosca” and “Andrea Chénier,” as well as concert performances of “Manon Lescaut,” “Lucrezia Borgia,” and “I Capuleti e i Montecchi.” In 2022, he served as Music Director of the Arena di Verona Festival. He maintains a close collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where since his 1998 debut he has conducted nearly 500 performances, including “Il trovatore,” “La Bohème,” “Aida,” “Turandot,” “Rigoletto,” and “Lucia di Lammermoor.” His recording Verismo (2009) with Renée Fleming received a Grammy Award, and Romantic Arias (2008) with Jonas Kaufmann was honored with a Diapason d’Or. At the Vienna State Opera, where he has been an honorary member since 2019, he has conducted a wide range of works from the Italian and French repertoire, as well as galas and festival concerts. At the Zurich Opera House, his recent performances have included “La traviata,” “Otello,” “La Bohème,” “Manon,” “Simon Boccanegra,” “La rondine,” “Messa da Requiem,” and “Tosca.”

Tosca28 Sept / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Werther14 / 19 Jun / 1 / 4 / 10 Jul 2026

Leonardo Sini

The Italian conductor Leonardo Sini studied at the Conservatorio di Musica Luigi Canepa di Sassari and continued his education at the Royal Academy of Music in London, at the conservatories in The Hague and Amsterdam, and in Siena. In 2017, he won the prestigious International Conducting Competition “Sir Georg Solti.” Since then, he has made highly successful debuts at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest, with Opera Lombardia in Como, Cremona, Pavia, and Bergamo, at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and in 2021 in Japan with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Also in 2021, he conducted “L’elisir d’amore” at the Opéra National de Paris and returned to the Hungarian State Opera for Puccini’s rarely performed “Edgar” as well as productions of “Simon Boccanegra” and “Don Carlo.” Further highlights include his debuts at the Hamburg State Opera and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin with “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Aida” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, “Turandot” and “Adriana Lecouvreur” at the Sydney Opera House, “Il barbiere di Siviglia” at Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia and in Modena, “La traviata” and “Aida” at the Semperoper Dresden, and “Carmen” and Verdi’s “Alzira” at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège. Recent engagements include “Il trovatore” at the Korean National Opera in Seoul, “Don Carlo” in Tokyo, “Aida” at the Staatsoper Hannover, “Nabucco” with Plácido Domingo in Paris, “Carmen” at the Arena di Verona, and his 2025 American debut with “Tosca” at the Seattle Opera. At the Zurich Opera House, Leonardo Sini has conducted “Rigoletto,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Tosca,” and “La scala di seta.”

La scala di seta25 / 28 Sept / 19 / 24 Oct 2025 Tosca2 Oct 2025

Director:

Robert Carsen

Robert Carsen, born in Canada, is one of the world’s most sought-after directors and designers for theatre and opera. After training as an actor at York University in Toronto and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he achieved his first successes as a director at the opera houses in Geneva, Paris, and Antwerp. Since then, he has directed on many of the world’s major stages, including “Die tote Stadt” at the Komische Oper Berlin, “Der Rosenkavalier” and “Falstaff” at the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, “Eugene Onegin” in Rome, “La traviata” at La Fenice in Venice, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Rigoletto” at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, “Wozzeck,” “Agrippina,” and “Platée” at the Theater an der Wien, “Rinaldo” and “L’incoronazione di Poppea” in Glyndebourne, “Tannhäuser,” “Elektra,” “Rusalka,” “Lohengrin,” and “Manon Lescaut” at the Paris Opera, “Salome” and “Idomeneo” in Madrid, “Falstaff,” “Don Giovanni,” and “Alcina” at La Scala in Milan, as well as “Tosca,” “Semele,” and “Arabella” at the Zurich Opera House. He has also directed numerous theatre and musical productions, including “Singin’ in the Rain,” “My Fair Lady,” and “Candide” at the Théâtre du Châtelet, as well as the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Beautiful Game” in London’s West End. Robert Carsen has worked as a curator and scenographer at institutions including the Grand Palais, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Opéra Garnier in Paris, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Cannes Film Festival. He is an Officier des Arts et des Lettres and an Officer of the Order of Canada, received the Opera Award as “Best Director” in 2021, and was the first recipient of the Grand Prix de l’Académie des beaux-arts in Paris in 2023.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Arabella14 / 18 / 22 / 25 / 28 Apr 2026

Stage and costume design:

Anthony Ward

Anthony Ward was born in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and studied set design at the Wimbledon School of Art. His engagements have taken him to numerous theatres in the British capital, including the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Donmar Warehouse, the Almeida Theatre, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London. He has also worked at internationally renowned opera houses such as Opera North in Manchester, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Opéra National de Paris. Anthony Ward has collaborated with directors including Sam Mendes, Adrian Noble, Jonathan Kent, and Robert Carsen.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025

Associate set designer:

Alexander Lowde

The set and costume designer Alex Lowde works across opera, dance, and theatre. His early work was created in small experimental London venues such as the Yard and the Gate. In recent years, his scope has expanded, and he has designed for institutions including the Young Vic, Leeds Playhouse, Manchester Exchange, Opera North, Scottish Opera, the Linbury Studio of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the National Theatre in London, and the English National Opera. His recent productions include “A View from the Bridge” at the Met Theatre Tokyo (2023), “Blue” at the English National Opera (2023), and “The School for Scandal” and “The New Real” with the Royal Shakespeare Company (2024). Alex Lowde has received two Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland and has been nominated in the category of “Best Set Design” for the TMA Awards, the Irish Times Theatre Awards, the Manchester Theatre Awards, and the Broadway World Awards. “Blue” at the ENO was nominated for the 2024 Olivier Award for “Best New Opera Production.”

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025

Lighting designer:

Davy Cunningham

The Scottish-born Davy Cunningham has created over 250 lighting designs in more than 26 countries for opera productions at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Opéra National de Paris, the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, the Zurich Opera House, Oper Frankfurt, Semperoper Dresden, Oper Leipzig, and the State Operas in Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin. His work ranges from large-scale lighting installations—such as those he designed for over 25 years for the Bregenz Festival—to more intimate designs, including Mozart performances at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace. He has also worked regularly with theatre companies in Scotland, Ireland, England, and Russia. Significant collaborations have linked him with directors such as Robert Carsen, David Pountney, Keith Warner, Guy Joosten, Rolando Villazón, Olivier Tambosi, and Philipp Himmelmann. Davy Cunningham is a recipient of the Bohuslav Martinů Society Award of the Czech Republic.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025

Chorus Master:

Ernst Raffelsberger

Ernst Raffelsberger stammt aus Gmunden, Oberösterreich. Er studierte Musikpädagogik und Kirchenmusik an der Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien (Chorleitung bei Prof. Erwin Ortner) und anschliessend Chordirigieren am Salzburger Mozarteum bei Prof. Walter Hagen-Groll. Von 1983 bis 1986 war er Kapellmeister der Wiener Sängerknaben. In dieser Zeit leitete er das Ensemble in Wien und auf Tourneen durch Europa, Südafrika, Kanada und die USA. Ab 1986 war Ernst Raffelsberger Chordirektor und Kapellmeister am Landestheater Salzburg (Mitwirkung bei der Salzburger Mozartwoche und den Salzburger Festspielen). 1989 wurde er von Donald Runnicles als Chordirektor und Kapellmeister an das Theater in Freiburg/Breisgau berufen. Seit Herbst 1993 ist Ernst Raffelsberger am Opernhaus Zürich als Chordirektor engagiert. Hier hat er inzwischen über 100 Premieren betreut und mit vielen namhaften Dirigenten wie Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnányi, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Daniele Gatti, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta und Franz Welser-Möst zusammengearbeitet. Gastspiele mit dem Opernhaus Zürich führten ihn nach Wien, London, Paris und Tokio. Zahlreiche CD- und DVD-Aufnahmen dokumentieren diese Arbeit. Im Sommer 2012 begann zusätzlich seine Tätigkeit als Chordirektor der Salzburger Festspiele. Er ist dort für die Produktionen der Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor verantwortlich. In seiner ersten Festspielsaison kam es u. a. zu einer erfolgreichen Zusammenarbeit mit Riccardo Muti und Sir Simon Rattle.

Manon24 / 27 Sept / 3 / 7 / 10 Oct 2025 Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 La clemenza di Tito26 / 29 Apr / 3 / 8 / 15 / 17 / 20 / 25 May 2026 Madama Butterfly30 Dec 2025 / 3 / 9 / 11 / 13 / 16 Jan 2026 Le nozze di Figaro24 / 29 Jan / 1 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 14 Feb 2026 Die Fledermaus7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 18 / 26 / 28 / 31 Dec 2025 / 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 Jan 2026 Messa da Requiem20 / 22 / 28 Feb / 1 / 5 / 7 Mar / 6 Apr 2026 Arabella14 / 18 / 22 / 25 / 28 Apr 2026

Cast

Floria Tosca Sonya Yoncheva

Mario Cavaradossi Jonas Kaufmann

Baron Scarpia Bryn Terfel

Cesare Angelotti Brent Michael Smith

Mesner Valeriy Murga

Spoletta Johan Krogius

Sciarrone Steffan Lloyd Owen

Un carceriere Evan Gray

Sonya Yoncheva

The soprano Sonya Yoncheva comes from Bulgaria. She studied piano and singing in her hometown Plovdiv as well as in Geneva and is a graduate of the academy Le Jardin des Voix. In 2010 she won the first prize of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Competition, in 2015 the ECHO Klassik as “Young Artist of the Year” and in 2021 the Opus Klassik as “Singer of the Year”. Her wide-ranging repertoire includes works from the Baroque period as well as roles such as Gilda (“Rigoletto”), Mimì (“La bohème”), Violetta (“La traviata”), Desdemona (“Otello”), Marguerite (“Faust”), Imogene (“Il pirata”) and the title roles in “Norma”, “Tosca” and “Luisa Miller”. She appears regularly on the world’s most important stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the State Operas in Berlin, Munich and Vienna, as well as the Opéra National de Paris and the Teatro Real in Madrid. At the Salzburg Festival she appeared as Poppea (“L’incoronazione di Poppea”) and in 2020 gave a concert evening at La Scala in Milan. Recent engagements include Lisa (“The Queen of Spades”) at the Metropolitan Opera, her Japan debut as Floria Tosca in Yokohama and Tokyo, as well as recitals and concert evenings in São Paulo, at the State Operas of Berlin and Vienna, at the Salzburg Mozart Week, in the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival and in the Philharmonie de Paris. Since 2020 she has also been active as a producer. Under her label SY11 Productions, her solo album “The Courtesan” (2023) and her book “Fifteen Reflections” have been released, as well as a concert series in Sofia. Sonya Yoncheva is an ambassador for UNICEF Bulgaria.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025

Jonas Kaufmann

The tenor Jonas Kaufmann studied voice at the Academy of Music in his hometown of Munich. After engagements in Saarbrücken, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Milan, he joined the Zurich Opera House in 2001. From there, his international career took off with appearances at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Paris Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Scala in Milan, the Deutsche Oper and the Staatsoper in Berlin, the Vienna State Opera, as well as at the Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2006. He has sung the title roles in Verdi’s "Otello" in London, Munich, and Naples, Massenet’s "Werther" in Paris, Vienna, and New York, and Wagner’s "Lohengrin" in Bayreuth, Milan, Paris, and Melbourne. In the field of lieder, he enjoys a close artistic partnership with Helmut Deutsch, with whom he gave the first solo recital at the Met in New York in 2011 since Luciano Pavarotti. Jonas Kaufmann is an exclusive artist with Sony Music, and many of his recordings have received awards such as the Gramophone Award. He has been named "Singer of the Year" multiple times, including by Opernwelt magazine, Diapason, Musical America, and the juries of the International Opera Awards and the Opus Klassik. In 2013, he was named Bavarian Kammersänger and in 2022 Austrian Kammersänger. He received the Bambi Award in 2014, the Premio Puccini in 2015, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2016, was appointed "Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" in 2018, received the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art, and in 2024 was awarded the "Ordre de la Légion d’honneur". Since 2024, Jonas Kaufmann has also served as Artistic Director of the Tyrolean Festival Erl.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025

Bryn Terfel

Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone from Wales, won the Song Prize in Cardiff in 1989. Since then, he has appeared at the world’s leading opera houses. His roles include, among others, the title role and Leporello in "Don Giovanni", Jochanaan in "Salome", Nick Shadow in "The Rake’s Progress", Wolfram in "Tannhäuser", and Balstrode in "Peter Grimes". He sang Hans Sachs in the acclaimed production of "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" at the Welsh National Opera, Wotan in the "Ring" cycle at the Royal Opera House London and the Metropolitan Opera New York, as well as Sweeney Todd at the English National Opera. His recent appearances include Scarpia ("Tosca") at the Bavarian State Opera Munich, the Royal Opera House, and the Met, Dulcamara ("L’elisir d’amore") and Don Basilio ("Il barbiere di Siviglia") at the Vienna State Opera, and Gianni Schicchi at the Verbier Festival. He has given recitals at venues including the Hamburg State Opera and in Budapest, and has performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. In Faenol, North Wales, he directed his own festival for nine years. His discography includes operas by Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss, as well as over fifteen solo albums, for which he has received the Grammy, the Classical Brit, and the Gramophone Award. In 2003, Bryn Terfel was appointed Commander of the British Empire, received the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2006, was knighted in 2017, honoured with the title "Austrian Kammersänger" for his contributions to the Vienna State Opera, and received the European Culture Prize in 2022 at the Tonhalle Zurich. He was also a recipient of the Shakespeare Prize from the Alfred Toepfer Foundation and was awarded the "Freedom of the City of London" in 2015.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025

Brent Michael Smith

The bass Brent Michael Smith is from the United States. He studied voice at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and at the University of Northern Iowa, as well as piano at Hope College in Michigan. He was a finalist in the Queen Sonja International Music Competition (2021) and a semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions (2020), and he has been a prizewinner at international singing competitions such as the Grand Rapids Opera Competition, the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition, the Opera Birmingham Competition, the Opera Index Competition, and the Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino. He has also received scholarships from the Loren L. Zachary Society and the Young Patronesses of the Opera Competition in Miami. In the United States, he has sung Zuniga ("Carmen"), Friedrich Bhaer (Mark Adamo’s "Little Women"), and Ashby ("La fanciulla del West") at Michigan Opera, Antonio ("Le nozze di Figaro") at Toledo Opera, Ariodante ("Xerxes") at the Glimmerglass Festival, Lakai ("Ariadne auf Naxos") at the Santa Fe Opera, as well as Celio (Prokofiev’s "The Love for Three Oranges") and Peter Quince ("A Midsummer Night’s Dream") at Opera Philadelphia. During the 2020/21 season, he was a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House and joined the ensemble in the following season, 2021/22. Since then, he has appeared at the Zurich Opera House in roles such as Sparafucile ("Rigoletto"), Raimondo ("Lucia di Lammermoor"), Prince Gremin ("Eugene Onegin"), Frère Laurent ("Roméo et Juliette"), Fafner ("Das Rheingold"), and Cesare Angelotti ("Tosca").

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Tannhäuser21 / 24 / 27 Jun / 2 / 5 / 8 / 11 Jul 2026 Cardillac15 / 18 / 21 / 25 Feb / 1 / 6 / 10 Mar 2026 Un ballo in Maschera22 / 28 / 31 May / 7 / 13 Jun 2026 Rigoletto20 / 23 / 27 Dec 2025 / 1 / 4 Jan 2026 Arabella14 / 18 / 22 / 25 / 28 Apr 2026

Valeriy Murga

The bass Valeriy Murga studied at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv. He was a finalist at both the 41st International Singing Competition in Toulouse (1996) and the 7th Julian Gayarre Competition in Pamplona (1998). In 1997, he won second prize at the Maria Callas Grand Prix in Athens and took part in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1999. From 1997 to 1999, he was a soloist at the Ukrainian National Opera in Kyiv, where he performed roles such as Figaro ("Le nozze di Figaro"), Escamillo ("Carmen"), Schaunard ("La bohème"), and the title roles in "Eugene Onegin", "Don Giovanni", and "Prince Igor". His repertoire also includes, among others, the roles of Marchese di Posa ("Don Carlo") and Shaklovity ("Khovanshchina"). At the Zurich Opera House, Valeriy Murga first joined the International Opera Studio and during that time appeared as Sciarrone and the Sacristan ("Tosca"), as well as Monterone ("Rigoletto"). Since the beginning of the 2000/01 season, he has been a permanent ensemble member at the Zurich Opera House, where he has since performed roles including Prince Yeletsky ("The Queen of Spades"), Moralès ("Carmen"), Second Soldier ("Salome"), Alessio ("La sonnambula"), Ali ("L’italiana in Algeri"), Wagner ("Faust"), the Sacristan ("Tosca"), the Butler ("La rondine"), and Bogdanovich ("The Merry Widow"), as well as in family operas such as "The Canterville Ghost", "Robin Hood", "The Enchanted Pig", "Jim Knopf", and "Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig". He has also appeared as a guest artist in Eugen d’Albert’s "Tiefland" at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and in "L’italiana in Algeri" at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin.

Manon24 / 27 Sept / 3 / 7 / 10 Oct 2025 Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Werther14 / 19 Jun / 1 / 4 / 10 Jul 2026 Hänsel und Gretel20 / 23 Nov / 2 / 16 / 18 Dec 2025 / 2 / 24 / 25 / 31 Jan 2026

Johan Krogius

The tenor Johan Krogius began his musical training in the boys’ choir of the Cathedral Cantores Minores in Helsinki. He later studied in Helsinki and Stockholm, won the Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition in 2021, and in the same year received first prize at the Helsinki Lied Competition. In opera, he has performed roles such as Jaquino ("Fidelio") and Pong ("Turandot") in Helsinki; First Man and Juhana in Joonas Kokkonen’s "The Last Temptations" at the Opera in Jyväskylä; Don Ottavio ("Don Giovanni") at the Finnish National Opera; Kuska ("Khovanshchina") with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen in Helsinki and Stockholm; as well as Tamino ("The Magic Flute") at the Opera in Tampere and at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, where he also appeared as Don Ottavio and Ismaele ("Nabucco") in 2024 and as Macduff ("Macbeth") in 2025. During the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, he was a member of the International Opera Studio at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. There, his roles included Leukippos (Strauss’s "Daphne"), Tamino, First Armoured Man, and First Priest in "The Magic Flute," the Innkeeper and Faninal’s Majordomo ("Der Rosenkavalier"), a Trojan ("Idomeneo"), Parpignol ("La bohème"), and Borsa ("Rigoletto"). As a guest, he returned to the Berlin Staatsoper as Tybalt ("Roméo et Juliette"), the Apparition of a Young Man ("Die Frau ohne Schatten"), the First Knight of the Grail ("Parsifal"), and the Innkeeper. On the concert stage, he has performed with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia, the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, the Tapiola Sinfonietta, and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 2024 he made his debut with Mozart’s "Requiem" at the Berlin Philharmonie.

Der Rosenkavalier21 / 26 Sept / 1 / 5 / 14 / 17 / 21 / 26 Oct 2025 Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Tannhäuser21 / 24 / 27 Jun / 2 / 5 / 8 / 11 Jul 2026 Carmen18 / 21 / 23 / 27 / 31 Jan 2026 Arabella14 / 18 / 22 / 25 / 28 Apr 2026 Johannes-Passion24 Mar 2026

Steffan Lloyd Owen

Steffan Lloyd Owen, baritone, is from Wales and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He has received numerous singing awards in the United Kingdom, including the W. Towyn Roberts Scholarship Prize, the Blue Riband Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Prize. In 2025, he won the Josep Palet Singing Competition and was selected as a finalist in the Paris Opera Competition. He has sung Sciarrone and the Jailer in a semi-staged production of "Tosca" alongside Sir Bryn Terfel and Kristine Opolais at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Escamillo ("La tragédie de Carmen") at the Buxton International Festival, the Doctor in Verdi’s "Macbeth" at Mid Wales Opera, as well as the title role in Hans Krása’s children’s opera "Brundibár" and Guglielmo ("Così fan tutte") at Welsh National Opera. Concert highlights include Mozart’s "Requiem" with the Orchestre National de Bretagne in Rennes, as well as Beethoven’s Mass in C major and "Choral Fantasy" with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. Since the 2024/25 season, he has been a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House, where he has already sung roles such as the Usher ("Rigoletto"), Silvano ("Un ballo in maschera"), Hermann ("Les Contes d’Hoffmann"), and Sciarrone ("Tosca").

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Madama Butterfly30 Dec 2025 / 3 / 9 / 11 / 13 / 16 Jan 2026 Un ballo in Maschera22 / 28 / 31 May / 7 / 13 Jun 2026 Rigoletto20 / 23 / 27 Dec 2025 / 1 / 4 Jan 2026 Gala Concert of the International Opera Studio6 Jul 2026

Evan Gray

Evan Gray is a Swiss bass-baritone from Winterthur. He began his musical training as an alto with the Zürcher Sängerknaben and later transitioned to the bass voice category. After receiving his first vocal lessons at the Conservatory in Winterthur, he went on to study at the renowned Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. His previous roles include the Förster (“Das schlaue Füchslein”), Figaro (“Le nozze di Figaro”), and Leporello (“Don Giovanni”). As an experienced recitalist, he has performed Schubert’s “Winterreise” and Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel” on multiple occasions and has collaborated with artists such as Julius Drake and Robert Holl. From 2023 to 2025, he was a guest artist at the Marlboro Music Festival, where he developed a close artistic relationship with pianist Mitsuko Uchida, who has invited him to return for the 2026 summer edition. Since the 2025/26 season, Evan Gray has been a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House.

Tosca28 Sept / 2 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 19 Oct 2025 Rigoletto20 / 23 / 27 Dec 2025 / 1 / 4 Jan 2026 Werther14 / 19 Jun / 1 / 4 / 10 Jul 2026 Macbeth8 / 11 / 14 / 19 / 22 / 30 Nov 2025

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Kinderchor der Oper Zürich

Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

Abstract

Powerful bars make it clear right from the start: «Tosca» is an operatic thriller about desire, betrayal, and abuse of power. With the title heroine, Puccini created a character who dedicated her entire life to the stage. Robert Carsen stages an enigmatic play about appearances and reality, theater and truth, while keeping pace with suspense-packed plot. Under the musical direction of Marco Armiliato, the dramatic triumvirate is made up of Sonya Yoncheva in the title role, Jonas Kaufmann as Cavaradossi, and Bryn Terfel in the role of Scarpia.

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Good to know

Programmbuch

Synopsis

Act One
Interior of the Church of Sant' Andrea della Valle
Cesare Angelotti, a political prisoner who has just escaped from the Castel Sant’ Angelo, furtively enters the church to hide in the private chapel of his sister, the Marchesa Attavanti. The sacristan enters and is surprised to see that the painter, Mario Cavaradossi is not at work. Cavaradossi arrives and attempts to resume his work - a painting of a blonde blue-eyed Mary Magdalen, inspired by the Marchesa Attavanti, whom he has seen praying in the church lately. Cavaradossi compares the dark beauty of his beloved Floria Tosca, the most celebrated Prima Donna of her day, with the fair Magdalen.
The sacristan leaves. Angelotti, believing the church to be empty, steps from his hiding place and is discovered. He is relieved to recognize Cavaradossi, who agrees to help him. Suddenly Tosca’s voice is heard, and Angelotti hides once again. The jealous diva enters, convinced that Cavaradossi was with another woman. Preoccupied with Angelotti, Cavaradossi quiets her suspicions, and they plan a rendez-vous later that evening. As she is about to leave, Tosca sees the painting, and jealously recognizes the Marchesa Attavanti. Cavaradossi persuades her that his model is simply an unknown worshipper, and they part.
Angelotti emerges just as a cannon shot signals the discovery of his escape. Cavaradossi offers to hide him in his nearby villa, and the two men flee together. The sacristan returns, accompanied by members of the choir. All are excited by the latest news: Napoleon has been crushed at Marengo. There is to be a victory celebration that evening at the Farnese Palace, where the choir will sing a new cantata, with Floria Tosca as soloist.
Suddenly, Baron Scarpia, chief of the Roman police, enters. He and his agent Spoletta have traced Angelotti to the church. After questioning the sacristan, Scarpia surmises that Cavaradossi, a suspected Republican sympathizer, has aided the fugitive’s escape. Tosca returns to tell Cavaradossi that she cannot join him later. Scarpia, who desires her, seizes the opportunity to arouse Tosca’s jealousy, and to discover Angelotti’s hiding place. He shows her a fan he has found bearing the Attavanti crest. She is consumed with jealousy and leaves to confront her lover, with Scarpia’s spies following her. Scarpia gloats over the impending realization of his double goal - Cavaradossi on the gallows and Tosca in his arms. Swept up in his vision, he declares that Tosca has made him forget God.

Act Two
Scarpia's apartment in the Farnese Palace
Scarpia is dining in his apartment, savouring the prospect of satisfying his desire for Tosca. He knows that she is singing before the Queen of Napels in another part of the Palace, and sends a note asking to see her. Spoletta enters and reluctantly reports that he followed Tosca to Cavaradossi’s villa, but could not find Angelotti. He quickly adds that he did find Cavaradossi, and has brought him for questioning. The painter denies any knowledge of the escaped prisoner, and Scarpia orders him tortured. Tosca arrives and Cavaradossi manages to warn her to say nothing before he is taken into an adjoining room. Tosca skillfully evades Scarpia’s questions until her lover’s cries of pain are heard. Tosca pleads for Cavaradossi. Unable to bear such agony, she reveals Angelotti s hiding place. Cavaradossi is brought out and denounces Tosca for her betrayal. Sciarrone, another of Scarpia’s agents, enters to report a reversal at Marengo - Napoleon has won. Cavaradossi shouts his elation in defiance of Scarpia, and is taken away. Left alone with Scarpia, Tosca attempts to offer him money in exchange for her lover’s life. Scarpia names his price: Tosca herself. Her hatred only intensified his desire. Scarpia persists, and Tosca finally agrees to submit to him in exchange for her lover’s life. Scarpia explains that he cannot simply free Cavaradossi; a mock execution must be staged. Tosca demands that Scarpia write a safe-conduct letter for Cavaradossi and herself. When Scarpia finishes, he advances to claim his prize. Instead Tosca stabs him to death ... She departs at the sound of a distant drum-roll.

Act Three
Ramparts of the Castel Sant'Angelo
Cavaradossi awaits his execution. Musing sadly on Tosca’s beauty and their love he writes her his farewell. She enters and tells him of their safe-conduct letter and of Scarpia’s death, explaining the need for the mock execution. The firing squad approaches. The soldiers fire and Cavaradossi falls. Tosca waits impatiently as the soldiers leave, and then runs to him. To her horror, she sees that he is dead and realizes that she has been tricked. Scarpia’s agents attempt to arrest her, but before they can reach her, she leaps to her death, crying: Scarpia, we will meet before God!