This November and December, Elza van den Heever continues her prominent presence on the stage of the Opéra national de Paris, starring in the title role of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot at the Opéra Bastille immediately following her acclaimed run as Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre.
The production marks an immediate return to Puccini’s ice princess for van den Heever, who triumphed in the role this past September at Oper Frankfurt. Her interpretation of the Chinese princess has drawn glowing critical acclaim, with Online Merker praising her vocal command: “lending Turandot not only a radiant clarity in her high notes . . . Her high C also expresses profound despair when she rejects Calaf as a husband.”
Van den Heever stars in Robert Wilson’s internationally acclaimed production, conducted by Eun Sun Kim. She leads a talented, international cast opposite tenor Yusif Eyvazov as Prince Calaf, bass Alexander Tsymbalyuk as King Timur, and soprano Adriana González as Liù. The ensemble features Carlo Bosi as the Emperor Altoum, Biagio Pizzuti as Ping, Bergsvein Toverud as Pang, and Manase Latu as Pong.