Dmitri Jurowsky conducts Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore at the Macerata Opera Festival, with Haiyang Guo appearing as Manrico on 31 July 2026. The production is presented at the Arena Sferisterio in Macerata, with additional performances on 16, 19, and 25 July.
The festival revives Francisco Negrin’s production, first created for the Arena Sferisterio in 2013. Angela Saroglou directs the revival, with sets and costumes by Louis Désiré and lighting by Bruno Poet. The cast includes Vito Priante as the Count di Luna, Marta Torbidoni as Leonora, Sofija Petrović as Azucena, and Dongho Kim as Ferrando.
Performance Details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Opera | Il trovatore |
| Composer | Giuseppe Verdi |
| Conductor | Dmitri Jurowsky |
| Featured tenor | Haiyang Guo |
| Role | Manrico |
| Festival | Macerata Opera Festival |
| Venue | Arena Sferisterio, Macerata |
| Production dates | 16, 19, 25, and 31 July 2026 |
| Haiyang Guo performance | 31 July 2026 |
| Time | 21:00 |
| Stage director | Francisco Negrin |
| Revival director | Angela Saroglou |
| Sets and costumes | Louis Désiré |
| Lighting | Bruno Poet |
| Orchestra | FORM-Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana |
| Chorus | Coro Lirico Marchigiano “Vincenzo Bellini” |
| Chorus director | Christian Starinieri |
Dmitri Jurowsky Conducts Il trovatore
Jurowsky leads a score built on sharp contrasts between martial energy, private lyricism, choral force, and the dark psychological world surrounding Azucena. The conductor must sustain the opera’s momentum while giving space to its abrupt changes of atmosphere and its demanding vocal writing.
The Macerata engagement continues Jurowsky’s work in Verdi repertoire. His career includes appearances at major opera houses across Europe and beyond, while his previous conducting repertoire includes Aida and Un ballo in maschera. In this production, his role is to shape Verdi’s dramatic architecture within the monumental open-air setting of the Arena Sferisterio.
Haiyang Guo as Manrico
Guo appears as Manrico specifically on 31 July. The date should remain clear in all listings and internal links, as the other announced performances feature a different tenor in the role.
Manrico combines the public identity of a warrior with the lyrical character of a troubadour. His music moves between tenderness, filial devotion, political conflict, and heroic intensity, making the role one of Verdi’s most demanding tenor assignments.
Guo’s connection with the role is already reflected in his repertoire and media profile, which includes Manrico’s central music from Il trovatore. His appearance in Macerata therefore develops an established association with the part rather than presenting it as an isolated engagement.
Together, Jurowsky and Guo represent two different dimensions of the production: Jurowsky shapes the complete musical performance from the podium, while Guo takes on its central tenor role for the final listed date.
The production also includes revival work by Marc Heimendinger, assistant direction by Fabiano Pistanti, and assistance with sets and costumes by Diego Mendez. The AMS – Helvia Recina Ensemble appears on stage alongside the festival orchestra and chorus.