Tobias Kratzer’s spectacular production of Fidelio, originally created for London’s Covent Garden in 2020, premieres at the Hungarian State Opera on 18 April 2026. In the double cast of the production, the leading roles are performed by Sinéad Campbell Wallace and Jamez McCorkle, Szilvia Rálik and István Kovácsházi, as well as Krisztián Cser and Károly Szemerédy. The ensembles of the Hungarian State Opera are conducted by principal guest conductor Péter Halász.
What can a woman do if a tyrannical regime makes her husband disappear and even spreads news of his death? Disguised as a man, Leonora infiltrates the prison of the cruel system to uncover the truth and save her beloved. Fidelio is a deeply moving story of courage, loyalty, and hope, in which Beethoven expresses the ideals of the Enlightenment through music of dramatic power and nobility.
The production is directed by Tobias Kratzer, who took over the leadership of the Hamburg State Opera this season, where he has staged, among others, Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, while also working on a new Ring cycle in Munich and achieving success with his Richard Strauss productions at the Deutsche Oper Berlin last season. The director, who received the Oper! Award for his 2019 Bayreuth Tannhäuser, was invited a year later by London’s Royal Opera House (now the Royal Ballet and Opera) to stage Beethoven’s only opera. In this production, Kratzer presents the two acts of Fidelio in different approaches, respecting the composer’s spirit while offering contrasting interpretations, thus appealing to both traditional and more innovative audiences. This monumental production, seen outside London for the first time in Budapest, features stage designs by Kratzer’s regular collaborators set designer Rainer Sellmaier video designer and Manuel Braun.
In the Budapest revival, the principal roles are performed in double casting by outstanding artists. Sinéad Campbell Wallace and Jamez McCorkle make their debut at the Hungarian State Opera as Leonora and her imprisoned beloved, Florestan. The internationally acclaimed singers previously performed these roles together to great success at the Washington National Opera in 2024. Among the Hungarian artists, István Kovácsházi takes on the role of Florestan for the first time, while Szilvia Rálik has been portraying Leonora for nearly two decades.
The role of Pizarro also marks a debut at the Opera House for both Krisztián Cser and Károly Szemerédy, although Cser has already appeared as the tyrant in cities such as Chemnitz and Madrid. Rocco, the compromising prison guard, is performed by András Palerdi and András Kiss; his daughter Marzelline by Orsolya Sáfár and Opera Studio member Anija Lombard; and her suitor Jaquino by Barna Bartos and fellow Opera Studio member Botond Pál. Among the Opera’s legendary eternal members, Dénes Gulyás and Kolos Kováts appear as the two prisoners, while the king’s minister, Fernando, is sung by Zsolt Haja. The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus are conducted by principal guest conductor Péter Halász, an experienced Hungarian interpreter of German-language opera.
Following its premiere on 18 April 2026, Fidelio is performed four more times during the season at the Hungarian State Opera: 19 (matinée), 21, 24, and 25 April (matinée).
Photo by Valter Berecz
