53 What can you miss if you don’t know what you’re missing? In his final opera, Tchaikovsky created an intimate swan song about knowledge, truth and the healing power of love, framed by his refined lyricism and rich palette of musical colours. Iolanta is blind, but she does not know it herself. Her father, King René, has created a false world, shielding her from anyone who might tell her about her condition. Simultaneously he hires a famous physician to cure his daughter. When the knight Vaudémont enters the idyllic garden that Iolanta lives in, they instantly fall in love with each other. He tells her the truth about her condition, which awakens a desire within Iolanta to be able to see. But is she ready to view the real world? Searching for a shadow Theatre and opera director Evgeny Titov is renowned for his beautifully detailed and emotionally charged productions. In an opera that is so emphatically about light, he searches for shadow. “Which is better,” he wondered, “sweet lies or the bitter truth?” Grammy-winning conductor Kwamé Ryan previously made a strong impression in Amsterdam with the productions Blue (2022) and Die ersten Menschen (2025). The chemistry between him and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in the latter promises much for their collaboration on Iolanta. Tchaikovsky’s music is close to Kwame Ryan’s heart: with his own orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, he is working on a cycle of all Tchaikovsky’s symphonies. Soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan is enthralling audiences worldwide with her lyrical, expressive timbre and emotional eloquence. After her moving interpretations of Liù (Turandot) and the title role in Maria Stuarda, she returns to Dutch National Opera to make her role debut as Iolanta. Her beloved, Vaudémont, is portrayed by tenor Dumitru Mîțu, who recently impressed audiences at Dutch National Opera in Boris Godunov. Ain Anger, one of today’s leading basses, takes on the role of Iolanta’s overprotective father. “ A visually irresistible production, a true feast for the eyes” Scherzo New production for Dutch National Opera Lyric opera in one act Libretto: Modest Tchaikovsky Sung in Russian Musical direction Kwamé Ryan Stage direction Evgeny Titov Set design Rufus Didwiszus Costume design Annemarie Woods Lighting design Martin Gebhardt Choreography Otto Pichler René Ain Anger Robert Audun Iversen Vaudémont Dumitru Mîțu Ibn-Hakia Thomas Lehman Bertrand Jasurbek Khaydarov Iolanta Kristina Mkhitaryan (16, 20, 22, 25, 29 April) Elena Stikhina (2 May) Marta Eva Kroon Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Irina Sisoyeva Production of the Wiener Staatsoper. Sets, props and costumes manufactured by ART for ART Theaterservice GmbH, Vienna Premiere 16/4/2027 Subsequent performances: 20, 22, 25*, 29 April, 2* May 2027 | Curtain-up: 20:00 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 27 August 2026 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone Iolanta Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
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