Paris National Opera 2013-14 Season Schedule, Highlights: Vittorio Grigolo, Patrizia Ciofi Open Season; Diana Damrau Sings 'La Traviata'

The Paris National Opera announced its 2013-2014 season on Feb. 26^th.

The opera house will present 19 works from a wide range of repertoire. The season will open on September 7^th with Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" starring soprano Patrizia Ciofi and tenor Vittorio Grigolo. The cast will rotate with Sonya Yoncheva and Michael Fabiano taking over the lead roles in later performances.

The season will include seven new productions. Christoph Willibald Gluck's "Alceste" will receive a new staging by Oliver Py starring tenor Roberto Alagna and  mezzo soprano Sophie Koch.

Oliver Py will also direct a new production of Giuseppe Verdi's "Aida." Oksana Dyka and Lucrezia Garzia share the lead role with mezzo soprano Luciana D'intino as Amneris and tenor Marcelo Alvarez as Radames.

Helmer Robert Carsen will direct two new productions. His first outing will be in Richard Strauss' "Elecktra" with Irene Theorin and Waltraud Meier.

He will then direct Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Die Zauberflaute" with Pavol Breslik, Sabine Devielhe, and Julia Kleiter.  

Benoit Jaquot will direct a new production of Verdi's "La Traviata" with German soprano Diana Damrau in the title role. Francesco Demuro sings Alfredo while Ludovic Tezier sings Giorgio Germont.

Laurent Pelly will tackle Vincenzo Bellini's "I Puritani" with Maria Argesta while Robert Wilson will direct a new production of Claudio Monteverdi's "L'Incoronazione di Poppea." The final new production will be Giacomo Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West" with Nina Stemme and Marco Berti.