The Hungarian National Male Choir has received a prestigious international invitation to perform on the stage of the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, where it will participate in a production of Richard Wagner’s opera Lohengrin.

Following an intensive rehearsal period of nearly two months beginning on March 3, the Venetian premiere will take place on April 12, 2026. After the premiere, the production will be performed on four additional occasions.

The significance of the invitation is further enhanced by the fact that the ensemble previously appeared on the stage of the world-famous opera house in 1990 - also in a production of Lohengrin. The upcoming appearance therefore continues an artistic relationship spanning more than three decades. The work forms an integral part of the Male Choir’s repertoire, and the ensemble has substantial experience in opera productions: its members move with routine and confidence not only on the concert stage but also in large-scale operatic performances.

“The Venice engagement is yet another confirmation of the Hungarian National Male Choir’s decades-long, consistent artistic work and international reputation. For the ensemble, the invitation represents not only professional recognition but also a cultural mission: representing Hungarian choral culture on the stage of one of the most prestigious institutions of the international opera world,” said Zoltán Zsuráfszky, Artist of the Nation and Kossuth Prize–winning choreographer, in his capacity as managing director of the Honvéd Ensemble, of which the Hungarian National Male Choir is one of the divisions.

The performance will be conducted by Markus Stenz, and the production is directed by Damiano Michieletto, one of the most prominent figures in contemporary opera staging, who regularly directs productions at the world’s leading opera houses and festivals. His work has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Laurence Olivier Award in 2015 for his direction of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House in London.

“An invitation to perform on the stage of La Fenice is a sign of the highest level of international trust and artistic recognition – and at the same time proof that the Hungarian National Male Choir is a significant artistic partner even at the forefront of international opera production, which of course makes us very happy,” said Richárd Riederauer, chorus director.

The production will be staged with an outstanding international cast. It is realized as a co-production with the Fondazione Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía. Alongside the Hungarian National Male Choir, the orchestra and chorus of La Fenice will also take part in the performance.

More information about the program:
https://www.teatrolafenice.it/en/event/season-25-26-lohengrin/

2026. March 03.