„A new theater season is always a mystery that we unravel by walking the path of becoming beauty. A modern person lives as if in an informational cocoon, through which it becomes increasingly difficult to reach its core. Therefore, we invite you to stop the endless flow of information at least for a moment and allow yourself to simply be.
Read more Israel orders closure of UK consulate in Jerusalem over sanctions related to settlements
The Opera and Ballet Theatre is precisely the place where one can hear the call of beauty, experience catharsis live, be with oneself and loved ones. Today, for many, this becomes one of the greatest luxuries,“ says LNOBT General Director Laima Vilimienė.
This season, the theater will also offer a very concrete opportunity to disconnect from informational noise – special secure boxes where viewers can leave their mobile phones and dedicate the performance time solely to the experience of performing arts.
The theater will also aim to attract more people who are coming to opera or ballet for the first time or are just beginning to get acquainted with these genres. As in the previous season, there will be open rehearsals of performances, providing an opportunity to get closer to the creative process and the theater’s “kitchen.” The updated educational program of theater tours will now be adapted for visitors of all ages, from preschoolers to seniors.
A program of smaller-format theater events is also being created for trips around Lithuanian regions, so that opera and ballet reach an even wider audience.
Premieres and special dedications
LNOBT audiences can expect four premieres this season: the world premiere of Žibuoklė Martinaitytė and Robert Wilson’s opera “Inverted Reality” next week, the diptych of one-act ballets “Pulse of Life” by Martynas Rimeikis and renowned British choreographer David Dawson scheduled for November, the production of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Macbeth” directed by French director Arnaud Bernard in March, and the world premiere of the ballet “The Lady of the Camellias” by famous choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa in May, which will be a joint production of LNOBT and the Estonian National Opera.
„LNOBT is intensively preparing for the first half of 2027, when Lithuania will hold the Presidency of the EU Council. On January 7, a very important event with a significant cultural program is planned at the theater for this important occasion. There will be more such events: for example, on January 13, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will be performed at the theater – this work will also commemorate the anniversary year of L. van Beethoven.
On May 8, the theater will host the Europe Day gala concert, featuring the brightest soloists from the national opera and ballet theaters of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia,“ says L. Vilimienė.
Strengthening ballet troupe and opera soloist debuts
„Each new ballet brings certain challenges, overcoming which grows the troupe. But a strong repertoire alone will not grow the troupe. Therefore, we conducted professional physical capability testing for the troupe artists, which allowed each ballet dancer to create an individual training plan tailored just for them. We hope this will serve the overall capacity of the troupe and the prevention of artists’ injuries,“ emphasizes LNOBT ballet artistic director Jurgita Dronina.
The theater’s opera artistic director Martynas Stakionis expressed his joy about the upcoming premiere of “Inverted Reality”: „This will be an extraordinary event in the theater world – the realization of director R. Wilson’s (1941–2025) vision of the performance, allowing the audience to experience various spiritual and philosophical transformations. In this opera, LNOBT will debut the Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Aistė Benkauskaitė, who began her stage career abroad.
In the season’s repertoire performances, we will also hear more Lithuanian soloists singing on foreign stages: Gabrielė Kupšytė will debut in “The Tales of Hoffmann,” Almas Švilpa in the opera “The Lithuanians,” Modestas Sedlevičius in the opera “Manon.” Kostas Smoriginas promises to perform the main role in the “Macbeth” premiere. And in the last performance of “La Bohème” directed by Dalia Ibelhauptaitė in December, a special opera constellation is expected,“ emphasizes M. Stakionis.
Read more A nice gesture: a new contract after a cancer diagnosis
