Riccardo Frizza welcomes the 2016-17 season with Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the Opéra national de Paris with performances from October 14 to November 16, 2016. Pretty Yende and Nina Minasyan alternate the title role alongside Piero Pretti and Rame Lahaj as Edgardo. The production, directed by Andrei Serban, also features Oleksiy Palchykov, Rafal Siwek, Gemma Ní Bhriain, and Yu Shao.
Closing out the year, the Italian conductor returns to Venice’s Teatro La Fenice to lead five performances of Verdi’s Attila, a production new to the theater. Vittoria Yeo and Pavlo Balakin lead the cast as Odabella and Attila, and Antonello Ceron performs the role of Uldino. Attila runs from December 9 to 17.
In January 2017, Maestro Frizza makes his company debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago conducting Norma. Known for his interpretation of bel canto works, Frizza was praised by San Francisco Classical Voice for his work with the Italian composer: «Frizza molded Bellini’s vocal line to the extent his singers allowed, lingering over notes and phrases without once becoming mannered.» Sondra Radvanovsky sings the title role, marking the reunion of the star soprano with the conductor following last season’s acclaimed production of Maria Stuarda at the Metropolitan Opera. Elizabeth DeShong, Russell Thomas, and Andrea Silvestrelli also star in the production, with performances from January 28 to February 24.
March brings Maestro Frizza back to the Gran Teatre del Liceu for Verdi’s Rigoletto, followed by his return to Teatro la Fenice to lead another staging of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in April.
