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On May 11, 2025, the Opéra Garnier in Paris hosts a remarkable event: the Rolex Ambassadors Concert, celebrating the 150th anniversary of this iconic venue. Sonya Yoncheva is among the evening’s distinguished performers, joining fellow Rolex Testimonees Juan Diego Flórez, Sir Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazón, pianist Yuja Wang, and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will lead the Vienna Philharmonic.

The evening’s program features selections from composers such as Bizet, Massenet, Gounod, Verdi, Rachmaninov, and Tchaikovsky, offering a rich tapestry of classical music. This concert not only showcases the talents of these world-renowned artists but also underscores Rolex’s commitment to the arts through its Perpetual Arts Initiative.

All proceeds from the evening go to the Orchestre lyrique de jeunes de l’Opéra national de Paris (ADO – Apprentissage de l’Orchestre).

The evening will be broadcast on TV by various stations, among them ORFIII on May 29 at 23:05h and 3Sat on May 31 at 20:15h.

For more information, please visit
https://www.operadeparis.fr/saison-24-25/concert-et-recital/concert-des-ambassadeurs-rolex

[Photo: Rolex]

Following the triumph in the new production of Iolanta, Sonya Yoncheva takes on her third role this season at the Wiener Staatsoper. On April 8, 12, and 15, she returns to Maddalena di Coigny in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, performing alongside Michael Fabiano in the title role and Luca Salsi as Carlo Gérard, in Otto Schenk’s historic 1981 staging. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts.

Sonya made her role debut as Maddalena at Teatro alla Scala in May 2023. After this Vienna run, she will bring the part to the Metropolitan Opera next season, including a Live in HD broadcast on December 13.

Umberto Giordano is among Sonya’s favorite composers. In addition to Maddalena, she has portrayed Fedora in new productions at both La Scala and the Met, and has championed lesser-known works such as Siberia, which she performed at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Real Madrid, and the Festival Radio France in Montpellier.

More information about Andrea Chénier in Vienna: https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/kalender/detail/andrea-chenier/

[Photo by Manfred Baumann]