Carmen - St. Margarethen Open Air Opera 2023

St. Margarethen Open Air Opera hosts 'Carmen', starring Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury as the titular character, directed by Arnaud Bernard.

The unique atmosphere of the open-air arena in the St. Margarethen quarry is once again the setting for one of the most popular operas: “Carmen” by Georges Bizet. The title role is sung by the Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury. The musical direction of the production by Arnaud Bernard is taken over by Valerio Galli. Love and passion, power and independence are the themes of this imposing opera.

At the center are the seductive, self-confident Carmen and the soldier Don José, who falls hopelessly for the femme fatale. The protagonist ultimately pays for the conflict between her love and the love of freedom with her life. Georges Bizet himself did not live to see the worldwide success of his masterpiece “Carmen”. However, the opera with its vivacious rhythms and numerous rousing melodies such as the “Habanera” made the composer immortal.

Genre Opera
English title Carmen - St. Margarethen Open Air Opera 2023
Duration 150 min.
Producer A co-production by ORF III and Axis Film in association with Oper im Steinbruch
Orchestra / Band Piedra Festival Orchestra
Choir Vienna Philharmonia Chorus
Conductor Valerio Galli
Director Arnaud Bernard
Main Actor Joyce El-Khoury