London’s Royal Opera House today announced their 2013-14 season, which includes Ailyn Pérez’s much anticipated return to Covent Garden. The American soprano stars in three productions next season: Massenet’s Manon (Jan 31 & Feb 4), Puccini’s Turandot (Feb 17, 20, 25, 28; Mar 4, 7 & 10) and Verdi’s La traviata (May 6, 12, 17 & 20). The full season announcement can be seen at the Royal Opera House website.
In Laurent Pelly’s much lauded production of Manon, Pérez stars in the title role opposite American tenor and fellow Richard Tucker Award-winner Matthew Polenzani as Manon’s jilted lover, the Chevalier des Grieux. Noted French conductor Emmanuel Villaume leads the run. The soprano then turns her attention to Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, when she portrays the selfless servent Liù in a revival of Andrei Serban’s production. Iréne Theorin sings the title role, and Alfred Kim performs as Liù’s unrequited love, Calaf.
Spring 2014 sees Pérez’s return to the title role of Verdi’s timeless tragedy La Traviata at Covent Garden. Pérez’s international career was launched by a mid-performance fill-in of this role, which The Guardian declared “an unalloyed triumph,” on the Royal Opera House’s tour of Japan in 2010.