Maria Biesu Festival opens in Chisinau with Verdi's 'Un Ballo in Maschera'

The Maria Biesu National Opera and Ballet Festival on September 14 starts with Giuseppe Verdi's opera “Un Ballo in Maschera,” a renovated performance that premiered in Chisinau in 1987. The opera will be performed by soloists of the Maria Biesu National Opera and Ballet Theatre (TNOB) and international artists.

French soloists Christophe Poncet de Solages (Riccardo) and Nicolas Rigas (Renato) will perform in the lead roles. The role of Amelia will be interpreted by German soloist Evelina Dobraceva. The artist says she learned this score at the Berlin Conservatory, taught by a master from Romania.

“I am experiencing strong emotions being in this theater. I studied the role of Amelia at the Berlin Conservatory. I am delighted by my stage colleagues’ mastery, the orchestra, and how warmly I was received. I love listening to the Romanian language; it is beautiful and musical,” the opera soloist confessed before the performance.





“Un Ballo in Maschera,” based on Eugene Scribe's play Gustav III, is a three-act lyric tragedy inspired by a real historical event—the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden in 1792 during a masked ball. The opera tells the story of Governor Riccardo (the equivalent of King Gustav), who secretly falls in love with Amelia, the wife of his best friend, Renato. The romantic intrigue intertwines with political plots against him. In the end, at a masked ball, a betrayed and jealous Renato kills Riccardo. Dying, he forgives his friend and declares Amelia innocent.

The opera explores forbidden love, betrayal, loyalty, and the tragic fate of the ruler. The show returns to the Chisinau stage in its initial version conceived by Veaceslav Ocunev.



The Maria Biesu International Opera and Ballet Festival is in inaugurated in Chisinau on September 14. This year's edition is dedicated to the famous soprano Maria Biesu, the Prima Donna of the National Opera, who would have turned 90 years in 2025. The event, now at its 33rd edition, will bring renowned international artists to the stage of the National Opera and Ballet Theater—20 special guests from over 12 countries.