New production Opera in four acts Sung in Russian Libretto Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Musical direction Valentin Uryupin Stage direction and set design Dmitri Tcherniakov Costume design Elena Zaitseva Lighting design Gleb Filshtinsky Fight choreography Ran Arthur Braun Joan of Arc Elena Stikhina King Charles VII Allan Clayton Agnes Sorel Nadezhda Pavlova Lionel Andrey Zhilikhovsky Dunois Vladislav Sulimsky The Archbishop John Relyea Thibaut of Arc Gábor Bretz Raimond Oleksiy Palchykov Netherlands Philharmonic Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper Co-production with Metropolitan Opera New York Premiere 12/11/2025 Subsequent performances: 15, 18, 21, 23*, 25, 28 November, 2 December 2025 | Curtain-up: 19:30 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 8 May 2025 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera Joan of Arc lived in the fifteenth century and, according to legend, liberated the besieged city of Orléans and led the French army to victory against the English. Despite her heroic deeds, she was eventually condemned to death and branded a heretic by her own people. The story of her life has inspired numerous artists, including Friedrich Schiller. Tchaikovsky based his opera on the play of the same name by this German writer. Just as in the play, in the opera Joan’s determination is put to the test when she falls in love with the enemy knight, Lionel. Tchaikovsky created his own version of French grand opéra, in which historical events and affairs are presented in an overwhelming way, with an abundance of theatrical spectacle. In the eye of the storm Dmitri Tcherniakov has previously worked as a guest director in Amsterdam, creating powerful interpretations of works from the Russian repertoire, most notably The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh (2012) and Prince Igor (2017). In this production of The Maid of Orleans, he places the legendary events in our own time, with a pugnacious Joan in the eye of the storm while the powers around her watch and criticise her. The promising young conductor Valentin Uryupin makes his debut at Dutch National Opera with this production, which features the Netherlands Philharmonic and the Chorus of Dutch National Opera at full strength. The challenging title role will be sung by Elena Stikhina, a firm favourite with audiences who previously made her mark here as Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica. The roles of the men with whom Joan has to deal will be performed by a standout cast, including tenor Allan Clayton as King Charles VII, and three singers making their house debut: baritones Andrey Zhilikhovsky and Vladislav Sulimsky as the knights Lionel and Dunois, and bass John Relyea as the Archbishop. Photo: Hugo Thomassen Tchaikovsky’s grand opera about Joan of Arc The Maid of Orleans, an opera about the French heroine Joan of Arc, is a gem in Tchaikovsky’s oeuvre that is rarely performed. This compelling work will be brought to life on Dutch National Opera’s stage by director Dmitri Tcherniakov, a master of the Russian repertoire. 27
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