World Opera Star Nadine Sierra in Verdi's La Traviata on 18 July at the Ancient Theatre

Opera Open continues its tradition of introducing Bulgarian audiences to world-renowned opera stars appearing in the country for the first time. Following the acclaimed debuts of Aida Garifullina and Nino Machaidze, this year's festival welcomes American soprano Nadine Sierra, one of the brightest stars of today's international opera scene.

Sierra will make her long-awaited Bulgarian debut in her signature role, Violetta Valéry, in Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata on 18 July at 9:00 PM at the Ancient Theatre, as part of Opera Open 2026.

Widely acclaimed by international critics as one of the finest Violettas of our time, Sierra has triumphed in this role at the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Royal Opera in Madrid, as well as the opera houses of Rome and Berlin. This autumn, she will once again portray Verdi's heroine at Milan's legendary La Scala.

Celebrated for her vocal virtuosity, emotional depth and captivating stage presence, Nadine Sierra is among the most sought-after sopranos on the international stage. Career highlights include her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in L'elisir d'amore, her return there in Lucia di Lammermoor, and the company's tour of Japan with Rigoletto under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano.

At the Metropolitan Opera, Sierra has appeared in leading roles in Roméo et Juliette, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Le nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo and Don Giovanni. She made her debut as Luisa Miller at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Antonio Pappano. Her distinguished concert appearances include recitals at Carnegie Hall, Teatro Real Madrid, Palm Beach Opera, Festival Dortmund and the Grand Théâtre de Genève, as well as participation in Andrea Bocelli's 30th anniversary world tour.

In Nina Naydenova's production, conducted by Grigor Palikarov, Nadine Sierra will be joined by tenor Egor Zhuravskii as Alfredo Germont and baritone Kiril Manolov as Giorgio Germont.

La Traviata starring Nadine Sierra is among the most highly anticipated highlights of the Opera Open 2026 festival.