27 may 2026 Guest Conductor And Wonderful Artists in "La Traviata'

One of the most performed opera titles – “La Traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi, will be a dazzling highlight in the February program of the State Opera – Burgas. On Friday, May 29, at 7:00 PM, wonderful opera artists will appear on the stage of the Opera. They will tell the tragic story of a beautiful love, subject to pure heart impulses, but darkened by prejudice and the inexorability of fate – in Verdi’s masterpiece. “La Traviata” is an opera classic that invariably excites and carries a strong emotional charge, generated by the magnificent music of Giuseppe Verdi, with a rich dramatic thread and captivating the eternal plot of tragic love, which has endured fateful challenges and resisted even the inexorability of death.
Behind the conductor’s podium stands Darius Wisniewski from Luxembourg /guest/. He is a Polish musician who combines a career as a conductor and double bassist in Luxembourg. Since 1998, he has been a permanent member of the Luxembourg Philharmonic, and holds a doctorate and a diploma in orchestral conducting from the Royal Conservatory of Liège /Belgium/. He has conducted orchestras in Germany, Belgium, Hungary, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland. He has worked as a guest conductor with the Polish orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia. Before settling permanently in Luxembourg, he played as a soloist and co-founder of several European formations, including the Malmö Opera Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
On Friday evening – according to the best canons of opera art, a brilliant spectacle will be created, in which those present will not have time and space to take a breath, completely immersed in the story, organically recreated by the artists as a life period experienced by them – with the happy moments, the glamorous worldly events, the dramatic ending, the dilemmas, the choices, the sacrifices and the tragic end, which, despite the pain, is marked by love.
It is expected that the guest conductor Darius Wisniewski will be able to encompass the process of creating the musical score in a harmonious whole and to give confidence to the musicians of the Burgas Opera Orchestra to develop in depth Verdi's characteristic melody, which tells stories through the musical line, and the solo instruments reflect the mental states of the characters.
The tragic image of Violetta Valeri is played by the charming soprano Ilina Mihaylova, a soloist of the State Opera - Varna and recently - of the State Opera - Burgas, well known to the Burgas audience for her brilliant and emotionally gripping roles in: "My Fair Lady", "The Barber of Seville", Rigoletto", her participation in "Zarzuela - Fire and Passion", etc. Her participation in performances of "La Traviata" on the stages of the Opera and the Summer Theater in Burgas was memorable. The versatile artistic role of the magnificent singer will be presented in the emblematic soprano role, for the opera world, and for the wider audience, of Violetta Valeri, torn by dramatic passions with a tragic tinge. She is incredibly impressive in the image - charming, extremely talented and artistic, woven from the nuances of the entire spectrum of sensuality, impeccable in vocal terms.
The charismatic tenor from Venezuela, Reynaldo Droz, will perform as Alfred Germont on the stage of the Burgas Opera. The Burgas audience knows him from his brilliant role as Rudolph in the performance of "La Bohème" in October 2024, as well as from his participation in the concert "Zarzuela - Fire and Passion". The young tenor is a graduate of Raina Kabaivanska and the winner of the 12th International Opera Competition "Anita Cerquetti" in Montecozaro, Italy. For several seasons, he has been a regular soloist at the State Opera - Varna, and recently - at the State Opera - Burgas. He has performed as a soloist in productions at the Sofia Opera and Ballet and on other stages in Bulgaria. The charismatic stage couple will perform for the second time in the dramatic roles of Violetta Valéry and Alfred Germont for the second time – after the exciting performance of Verdi’s masterpiece in November 2025 and in February this year on the stage of the Opera. The two singers are united by a single emotion that shook the audience, with the power of the recreated tragic story between the emblematic couple in the opera world. Longing, revelation, ardor, passion, doubt, internal struggle, disappointment, a sense of revenge, remorse, painful expectation, triumph of feelings – even on the verge of death – the two classy artists will brilliantly present the spectrum of different states of mind.
The other soloists in La Traviata will also be involved in the overall dramatic impact: the renowned Bulgarian baritone Alexander Krunev – respectful and evoking diverse feelings in the image of Georges Germont, who goes through different states of mind and overcomes his own principles and prejudices, Alfred's father; the charismatic mezzo-soprano Maria Yurkovskaya debuts in the aristocratic role of the coquette from the Parisian high society Flora Bervois. Yurkovskaya is the winner of the Second Prize of the International Competition for Opera Singers "Stoyan Popov" 2025, and is well known to the Burgas audience in her role of Rosina in "The Barber of Seville", Mercedes - in "Carmen", Zerlina - in "Don Giovanni", and her participation in several concert events, etc. A few days ago, Maria Yurkovskaya, together with tenor Yanni Nikolov, was a representative of the State Opera - Burgas in the impressive concert in front of the Church "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" on the occasion of Burgas hosting the Giro d'Italia.

The unobtrusive, gentle presence of Anina - Violetta's close maid, who is with her in joyful and tragic moments, will be performed by Darina Zapryanova. The strong, male characters from Alfred Germont's entourage: Milen Dinolov - as Viscount Gaston de Letorie, Kostadin Mechkov - in the image of Baron Dufault - Alfred's rival for the heart of Violetta Valery; Andrey Yurkovsky - in the role of the Marquis d'Aubigny, who is the favorite of women at social events; Diman Panchev – as the noble Doctor Grenville, Miroslav Dimitrov – in the image of Joseph, Violetta’s servant; Nikolay Nikolov – as Flora’s Servant.

It is expected that the musicians from the orchestra, as well as the artists from the Opera’s choir and ballet troupe, will precisely and emotionally recreate the secular splendor of Parisian high society. The choir conductor, who is assigned an important role in the overall development of the plot action, is Alexander Chepanov; the concertmaster is Hristo Belchev. The attractive choreography, which fits seamlessly into the spectrum of colors and emotions in the performance, is the work of Galina Kalcheva; the assistant directors of the production are Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, and the ballet troupe’s rehearser is Marina Zmeeva-Markova.

The masterful direction of "La Traviata" is by Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev and combines original techniques and an unconventional approach to the construction of the images in the dramatic plot based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas - fils. The scenography by Catalin Arbore /Romania/ is attractive and contains an allegorical charge, in which mirror images are used as a symbolism of spiritual metamorphoses. Arbore is also the author of the beautiful stage costumes of the production of "La Traviata".

Those attending the performance on Friday will be enchanted and moved - thanks to the beautiful music, the inspired performers, the stylish scenography with metaphorical messages, and something that is not subject to conventional description - enchantment, excitement, contact with the sublime. The beautiful production will once again touch the spiritual world of those present, will excite, think, and elevate them. "La Traviata" is eternal – a story of love, sacrifice, redemption, and doom.

Tickets for "La Traviata" - at the Opera box office, the "Clock" box office, at Grabo and Eventim.