Narva opera days mark 10th edition with gala and Glass opera
Tuesday 4th August 2026 on 08:30 in
Estonia
ERR reported that Narva Opera Days will celebrate their 10th edition at the Kreenholm Manufactory with an opera gala featuring the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and international soloists, as well as Philip Glass’s contemporary opera Einstein on the Beach.
The festival will take place on August 14 and 15. Artistic director Julia Savitskaya said the event was becoming increasingly important as a way to bring high-level cultural experiences and cultural tourists to Narva.
On Friday, August 14, the Turandot 100 opera gala will feature Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, Göteborg Opera soloist Ida Falk Winland, Kyiv National Operetta Theatre soloist Oleksandr Kyreiev and Estonian National Opera soloist Karis Trass, accompanied by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. Johan Randvere will host the evening.
Alongside other well-known opera arias, Antonenko will perform Puccini’s Nessun dorma. He has previously sung the aria at La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Musical director Jaan Ots said the gala would mark the centenary of the premiere of Puccini’s final opera with a programme spanning four centuries.
On Saturday, August 15, the festival will present Glass’s contemporary opera Einstein on the Beach. The production combines minimalist music and contemporary performing arts in the monumental interior of the Kreenholm Manufactory.
Ots is the production’s musical director and conductor. Matteo Mazzoni is the director, Luca Attili the video artist, Ketlin Oja the choreographer and Julia Savitskaya the producer. Ensemble X will perform on stage. The texts are by Christopher Knowles, Samuel M. Johnson and Lucinda Childs.