09 june 2026 Italian Conductor Takes the Stage for "Rigoletto" on Wednesday

An exciting performance, combining Verdi's brilliant music, dramaturgy revealing the entire palette of human passions, the masterful direction of Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev, exceptional singers who will experience every tone and phrase, weaving it into the overall sound of the tragic story, will be created on June 10, Wednesday, at 7:00 PM on the stage of the State Opera - Burgas with the opera "Rigoletto" by Giuseppe Verdi. Behind the conductor's podium stands the young Italian maestro Cesare Della Scucca, who is visiting the Burgas Opera for the first time. He is a regular guest conductor of various European orchestras and opera institutions, such as the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto.

The ever-present story of meanness, temptation, seduction, false hopes, insidious impulses, sin, curse, and a sinister denouement, woven into the classic reading of one of Verdi's affecting operas, will come to life in the Opera Hall on Wednesday. Through the means of syncretic operatic art, the musical and stage story of the hunchbacked jester Rigoletto will be presented: the only joy in his simple life is his beautiful daughter Gilda; the conscienceless Duke, a unifying image of meanness, as well as all the heroes of the tragic tale of betrayed trust. And the performers will show not only high class, but will also be able to tell in an extremely exciting way – with a sensory-grabbing dynamics of feelings, the dramatic story with a tragic ending, which never ceases to grab and conquer the emotional world of the audience of all generations, as it is eternal and incredibly impactful – as the power and intensity of passions, which have become destructively intertwined in human destinies.

The soloist composition is also remarkable: each of them – with exceptional individual qualities and at the same time – achieved remarkable cohesion on the stage. All performers: soloists, orchestra and choir, will build in a dramatic whole a memorable spectacle, touching the senses, shaking and provoking deep reflection – about true values, about the variability of feelings, about the power of fateful cards, rearranging human destinies.

On June 10, the image of the jester Rigoletto will be recreated by the remarkable baritone Marian Jovanoski, soloist of the National Opera of North Macedonia and the State Opera - Burgas. The sad jester Rigoletto, who receives his fateful retribution and whose father's heart is broken, realizes the unbearable pain of the worst loss - of a beloved child. The soloist of the National Opera of the Republic of North Macedonia and the State Opera - Burgas Marian Jovanoski will once again cause an extremely strong emotional resonance in the audience with his brilliant and touching interpretation of the role of the unfortunate jester Rigoletto, who carries the misfortune and curse of the "funny cry", with which he entertains the rich and signs the verdict of his own downfall and the fatal loss of the closest thing - his child. The renowned baritone will present in a convincing manner – both vocally and as an artistic recreation- the tragic story, with every tone and phrase passing through his essence – experienced and felt. Maryan Jovanoski is exceptional in building the complex image, both in the muted register and in the emotional outbursts. His Rigoletto is not only affecting, but also awakens some questions from the moral and philosophical code.

In the role of the gentle girl Gilda, charming and captivating with her touching naivety, living in her little dream world, cut off from reality, on Wednesday the charismatic soprano Ilina Mihailova enters. It is expected that she will again be at her usual height - both as a charming presence, completely merging with the image, and as an impressive performance - filigree, presented with the ease characteristic of undisputed professionals, and captivating - as an emotional force. Encountering a skilled seducer, in the person of the Duke, she falls into his demonic trap, which heralds her certain doom. Ilina Mihailova is subtle, ethereal, naturally beautiful, carrying vitality and at the same time - a sense of tragic doom, brilliant vocally and as a presentation of the most characteristic image of the gentle girl Gilda. And in an interview with BNR, the famous soprano says: "The role of Gilda is one of my favorites. I have sung it in many places, under different directors, but every time the overture sounds, I know it will be new, different. Every time I try to enrich the role with new vocal and artistic techniques! I look forward to hearing the overture so that our fairy tale can begin!" In the will of the Duke of Mantua, the self-satisfied, unscrupulous seducer and bon vivant, the Venezuelan tenor Reynaldo Droz enters the performance on June 10. He is an alumnus of Raina Kabaivanska and winner of the 12th "Anita Cercuetti" International Opera Competition in Montecozzaro, Italy. For several seasons, he has been a full-time soloist of the State Opera - Varna, and for several months - also of the State Opera - Burgas. He performed as a soloist in productions of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and on other stages in Bulgaria. Reynaldo Droz performed brilliantly in the role during the Rigoletto performance during last year's 2025 Sanctuary Opera Festival at the Begliktash Open Stage. The temperamental tenor, carrying the passion and fire of the South, is expected to completely blend with the emotional arc of the other characters in the sad story with a foreboding ending. Drotz impresses - both as a charismatic presence and as a wonderful command of his voice, and as an impact - through music and sensuality, especially in the famous "Duke's Aria" - "La donna è mobile". A beautiful cantilene timbre and brilliantly crafted phrases, as well as a height of artistic performance, show Reynaldo Drotz in the image of the cruel, fickle, and selfish Herzog, who made Gilda's heart fall fatally in love with him. Bassist Delyan Slavov takes on the role of Sparafucile. The bass timbre symbolically recreates the crushing of the human soul in the pernicious trap of temptation for easily acquired money. Delyan Slavov will again be respectable - both as impressive lows in the bass part and as suggestiveness - in the characteristic role of the villain Sparafucile, who is a hired killer, destroying human lives for a few silver coins. The character of a true seductress, but hiding a compassionate heart behind her beautiful appearance, will be recreated by the beautiful mezzo-soprano Joanna Kadiyska, who also has a timbre rich in color shades. She will again be sweeping - as suggestion and personal charm- in the role of the seductress Madalena, who, however, hides humanity and empathy in her frivolous heart. It is expected that she will fit perfectly into the role and reach a kind of emotional peak in one of the meaningful highlights of the opera "Rigoletto" - the ensemble at the end of the IV act, which is considered one of the most difficult parts of Verdi's work to perform. The rest of the soloists will be impressive and fully integrated with the overall sound of the show on stage on Thursday. At Wednesday's performance, they are expected to build solid characters that carry the tragedy of Verdi's score and psychologism beyond the pettiness of being. Bassist Kostadin Mechkov will play the role of Count Monterone, who is disgraced because of the honor taken away from his daughter, and, in his powerlessness, utters a curse that, through the unknown paths of fateful interrelationships, reaches those who caused the misfortune. Mezzo-soprano Kalina Popova will be affecting and feminine as Giovanna, Gilda's intimate maid who empathizes with her mental torments and metamorphoses. The soprano Stefka Hristozova and the bass Petar Tiholov will be aristocratic in the images of Countess and Count Ceprano - part of the high society with its refined and, at the same time, cruel orders; Stefka Hristozova will also play the role of Page. The baritone Yordan Hristozov will build the image of the nobleman from the retinue around Duke Marulo, who lives in the intriguing world of high society, and who, although he considers Rigoletto a friend and begs him for mercy, turns away from him, being part of the crushing majority, laughing at the Jester's plight. The tenor Milen Dinolov will play the role of Matteo Borsa, also part of the noble retinue.

Conductor Cesare Della Shuka, who sings with the artists during rehearsals and knows the text of the entire opera, is expected to lead the musicians of the Burgas Opera Orchestra - with concertmaster Hristo Belchev- into the essence of the work and its messages carried through the centuries. Brilliantly constructed dynamics and a strong emotional and meaningful charge will be the trademark of the orchestra. The male choir with conductor Alexander Chepanov is distinguished by brilliant dynamics, and especially in the quiet register it sounds like fateful steps, reminiscent of the ephemerality of our lives.

t. The artist of the classical production is Ivan Popov; the assistant directors are Petar Tiholov and Lina Peeva. The opera is performed in the original – in Italian, and has Bulgarian subtitles, written by Srebrina Slavova, which allow one to follow the dramatic plot and dialogues in detail.

The characters of one of Verdi's most famous operas, to which the composer himself did not hide his biases, will give the audience diverse experiences – from admiration for the power of pure love, destroyed by heartlessness, to the tragic hopelessness of trampled naive impulses. It is no coincidence that the great Italian composer stated that if he had to save only one of his operas, he would choose "Rigoletto". The in-depth directorial reading of Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev, who deciphers the codes of the human psyche, proves the power and message of these words.

At the performance on June 10, under the baton of Cesare Della Scucca, the magnificent cast of soloists, the orchestra, and the choir of the Burgas Opera will not only masterfully perform the score, characterized by its beautiful melody and psychological saturation. They will also tell - with captivating artistry- the eternal story of hell and heaven in a human soul, of destructive impulses, of retribution, of the cards of Fate, which are arranged according to our own choices, of meanness, betrayal, purgatory, redemption.

On August 22 of this year, the opera "Rigoletto" will be the last title of the "Opera of the Sanctuary" 2026 festival on the open stage in the Thracian sanctuary of Begliktash.

Tickets for "Rigoletto" - at the Opera box office, "Chasovnika" box office, in Grabo and Eventim.