The International Festival of Santander opens its 58th edition with the opera La Favorite

24/07/09.- The production, premiering in Spain will be performed on 31 July and 3 August.


The 58th Edition of the Santander International Festival will commence its 58th Edition with the staging of Donizetti?s opera ?La Favorita? a premier production in Spain, On Friday 31 August. The second performance will take place on 3 August, both in the Argenta Hall of the Palacio Festivales, at 21.00.

Hugo de Ana, one of the most renowned stage directors, scenographers and cast director son the opera and theatre scene, will be responsible for the stage direction of La Favorite. He has worked in the world?s most important theatres, since he started in 1988 with his collaboration in Spain with the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid and the Liceo, Barcelona with titles such as Armide de Gluk, Andrea Chenier, Walkyrie, La Bohème, Othello and Hermione. In 1997 he received the Abbiata Prize from the Italian Music press as best stage director and scenographer for his shows Iris (Rome Opera), Turandot in Macerata and The Tales of Hoffman in Genoa.

The cast of this opera stands out for its quality and experience, and features young Bulgarian mezzosoprano Nadia Krasteva who at the height of her vocal career will sing Leonor de Guzmán in this production. Her future engagements include: Eboli (Don Carlo)in Valencia with Maestro Lorin Maazel, Carmen with Maestro Jansons in Moscow (Bolshoi) Amsterdam and The Chicago Theatre Opera, as well as Carmen, Eboli, Ulrica and Paulina de Pique Dame with maestro Ozawa and Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino, with maestro Mehta in the Viena State Opera.
Catalunyan tenor José Bros, so linked to the Gran Teatro del Liceo, will play Fernando, acting for the first time in the Santander International Festival. He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of San Remuldo for Science, Literature and the Arts in San Fernando (Cadiz) and has recently been awarded in its first edition , the Campoamor Lyrical Theatre Prize, for the best opera singer. He has sung in the chief theatres of the world, among others la Scala, (Milan), Covent Garden(London) Staatsoper (Vienna) Teatro Real (Madrid) Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires) The Opera Theatre (San Francisco) ; the San Carlos Theatre (Naples) Bayersiche Staatsoper (Munich) and in the Teatro Campoamor (Oviedo).