For the traditional December 7 gala season-opener —the most anticipated on the European cultural calendar— and following last year’s gala appearance of opera stars singing duets and arias for a broadcast event from a mostly empty theater, the new season will open with Verdi’s Macbeth with all the the usual pomp of the VIP event.

Musical Director Riccardo Chailly will thus completed the series of interpretations of Giuseppe Verdi’s “youthful trilogy” after Giovanna d’Arco and Attila.

Macbeth will be staged by director Davide Livermore, his fourth inaugural performance, with Giò Forma’s stage designers, costumes by Gianluca Falaschi, and a grand cast: Anna Netrebko is Lady Macbeth, affirming her special relationship with the theatre, alongside Luca Salsi as Macbeth, Francesco Meli as Macduff, and Ildar Abdrazakov as Banco.