Opera, in Naples the San Carlo celebrates 290 years with eleven operas

Two hundred and ninety years of history. That the oldest opera house still active in the world celebrates with 11 opera titles, 6 ballet productions and 31 symphony concerts and chamber music. The San Carlo theater in Naples faces the 2026/2027 season around a heavy ‘birthday’ for its foundation, which took place on 4 November 1737, retracing the great musical epics that marked its life, making the Neapolitan Massimo occupy a fundamental role in the history of Italian and international music. In almost three centuries of activity, San Carlo has represented, and continues to represent, a creative laboratory and an international point of reference, with a legacy that continues to be one of the most precious heritages of European culture.

Seasonal guidelines

Enhancement of the history of the theater and the Neapolitan musical tradition, boost to productivity, relaunch of the dance troupe, return of international tours, strengthening of the link with the territory, attention to contemporaneity and the presence of great conductors, directors, choreographers, singers and soloists from the world scene are the cornerstones of the program put together by Fulvio Adamo Macciardisuperintendent and artistic director of the Neapolitan Lirico.

Opening and main titles

Among the opera titles, 5 will be new productions. The curtain on the new season will rise on December 2, 2026 with Luisa Millera masterpiece composed by Giuseppe Verdi in 1849 for the San Carlo, here returned to the public in a new production signed by Davide Livermore and directed by Daniel Oren.

Historical productions and repertoire

The program will also see the return of two historical productions particularly dear to the Neapolitan public: Madama Butterfly directed by Ferzan Ozpetek and conducted by Francesco Ivan Ciampa, e The Barber of Seville signed by Filippo Crivelli, on the podium Ottavio Dantone. And, again, Pagliacci, in the historical staging by Franco Zeffirelli with the direction of Daniel Oren; La damnation de Faust by Damiano Michieletto, winner of the Abbiati Award as best show of 2017, directed by Nikolaj Znaider; and Paul Curran’s Peter Grimes with John Fiore on the podium.

New commissions and projects

There is also room for a new commission to the composer Alessandro Solbiati, among the most recognized living composers, who will write an unprecedented completion of The Fall of House Usher (The Fall of the House of Usher), a work based on the novel of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe on which Claude Debussy worked between 1908 and 1917. The production, directed by Marco Angius with direction by Luca Micheletti, will be created in collaboration with the Teatro Alighieri of Ravenna. After years of absence, San Carlo will return to the Arena Flegrea in July 2027 with Toscain the staging by Edoardo De Angelis.

Symphonic season and Beethoven

For the symphonic season, notable for the first time on the podium of the Teatro di San Carlo are Charles Dutoit, Ton Koopman, Bertrand de Billy, Alexander Soddy, Pietari Inkinen, Nikolaj Znaider, Ramón Tebar and Umberto Clerici, alongside batons already known and appreciated by the Neapolitan public such as Hartmut Haenchen, Pinchas Steinberg, Asher Fisch and Lorenzo Passerini. In the symphonic and chamber program the figure of Ludwig van Beethoven on the bicentenary of his death, which will occur in 2027. The tribute will open with the performance of the Ninth Symphony conducted by Daniel Oren and will continue with the performance of all the solo concerts.

Territory and tours

It gets stronger the dialogue with the territory through synergy with the cultural realities of the city and the region, including the piano festival created in collaboration with the Alessandro Scarlatti Association. In terms of national and international projection, the 2026/2027 Season marks the return of tours: in addition to the tour of the choir, orchestra, dance troupe and workers in Japan in July 2027 with Aida, the dancers will be engaged in a series of events in Trieste and Trento in the spring.

Artistic strategy

Among the choices of the new direction of the theater, the one that sees the most appealing titles of the opera season proposed with an average of at least seven performances and with double casts of the same artistic level.

Around 300 years old

To start the journey towards the 300 year milestone, the inauguration of each season will be entrusted to an opera written for the San Carlo by composers who have contributed significantly to its artistic identity: Verdi in 2026, Donizetti in 2027 and Rossini in 2028.

Productions and cast

Because of this, will open the curtain of the season a Luisa Miller with the soprano Mariangela Sicilia (Luisa) and, for the first time in Naples, the tenor Piotr Beczała (Rodolfo), together with Igor Golovatenko (Miller), Michele Pertusi (Walter), Marko Mimica (Wurm) and Martina Belli (Federica). They will alternate with Marta Torbidoni (Luisa), Franco Vassallo (Miller) and Gabriele Sagona (Walter).

New Aida and Neapolitan repertoire

Serena Sinigaglia will then sign a new Aida destined for international circulation, in view of a tour of the company in Japan in July 2027. April 2027 will be dedicated to the rediscovery of the Neapolitan repertoire between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with two twin titles that explore the semi-serious genre, suspended between comedy and drama.

Ballet and dance programming

Particular attention will be paid to ballet under the guidance of the director of the corps de ballet, Renato Zanella. Compared to the last season, the number of titles will increase from 4 to 6, so as to significantly expand the offering aimed at local and international audiences.

Detailed symphonic programming

Beyond Beethovensymphonic-choral masterpieces that have long been absent from theater programmes, such as Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, and Symphony no. 2 Mahler’s “Resurrection”. The presence of Maurice Ravel and other great composers is also recurring.

Special events and guests

To celebrate 55 years since his debut at San Carlo, Placido Domingo will be the protagonist with Sonya Yoncheva of an opera gala directed by Leonardo Sini.

Musical collaborations

In collaboration with the “Alessandro Scarlatti” Association four appointments, from the young Alexander Gadjiev to the great Michele Campanella, who will celebrate his 80th birthday at the San Carlo.

Vision for the future

“With me we have always and only talked about programming and culture. This is the line and I believe that the new programming marks a definitive turning point towards a very happy future in the life of the theatre”. “2027 will mark the 290th anniversary of the theater’s foundation. I would like to start a journey that ideally thinks of the 300 years, with a strong valorisation of the music” that was written and performed for this theatre, also attention to new music and new compositions and a relaunch of international tours”. The superintendent and artistic director of the San Carlo theater in Naples, Fulvio Adamo Macciardithus defines the guidelines that will mark the new season, presented today, but also the following ones. “We are a large theater – he adds – we must think in collaboration with large institutions. This year we are making five new productions and three revivals, which we rent from Italian theatres. Then in the coming years there will also be numerous co-productions with international theatres”. Macciardi specifies that, despite the focus on the international dimension, the relationship with the territory will remain strong. “We will return to the Arena Flegrea this summer – he says – we should have other collaborations, with Pompeii, with Ravello and other things that we cannot yet announce, because we are waiting for their billboards. Then I will try to get the artistic bodies out of the theater as much as possible to have a strong rooting with the territory. This is fundamental to restore centrality to the vision of the San Carlo theatre, for Naples and for Italy”.