Kristine Opolais makes her debut at the 16th Abu Dhabi Festival in the title role of Puccini’s Tosca at the Emirates Palace Auditorium in Abu Dhabi. The festival will feature more than 100 events, in 25 venues, 543 international artists, with 17 participating countries, more than 18 productions, 2 co-productions, 2 commissions, and 6 Arab world debuts.

On March 15, Ms. Opolais sings the titular role in a fully directed, semi-staged performance opposite a superstar cast of Sir Bryn Terfel as Scarpia and Vittorio Grigolo as Cavaradossi. The orchestra will be the Sinfonia Cymru, joined by Côr choir. Ms. Opolais and Bryn Terfel have performed these iconic roles in concert together before, at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, where Ms. Opolais was heralded for her performance:

“If anything, her Tosca is even more impressive: vocally secure, dramatically confident and with just the right number of individual touches to show that she’s thought about the role. The pious woman of the second act was as convincingly put across as the jealous diva of the first (most singers whom I have seen tackle the role have only managed one of those two aspects) and her mixed feelings after despatching Scarpia were beautifully telegraphed. Having colllected golden opinions in London, at the New York Met and in other international opera centres, Opolais now bids fair to be the Puccuni soprano of the next decade.” (Bachtrack)