"Carmen" Wins Over Zagreb Audiences: Ovation at the Opening NightOpera — 24. October 2026.
The new production of Georges Bizet’s Carmen premiered on Friday, 23 October, at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, where it was greeted with ovations and prolonged applause. One of the best-known operas in the international repertoire once again brought to the stage a story of freedom, passion, jealousy and the tragic consequences of possessive love.
Directed by Pier Francesco Maestrini and conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi, Chief Conductor of the Zagreb Opera, Bizet’s masterpiece received a novel stage interpretation centred on an independent woman who refuses to compromise when it comes to her freedom. Almost a century and a half after the opera was composed, Carmen remains a character who invites reflection on personal choice, relationships and the fine line between love and obsession.
Sofija Petrović in the title role portrayed a strong-willed woman who refuses to subordinate her life to the expectations of others. Her stage partner, Giorgio Berrugi, played Don José, a soldier whose love gradually turns into jealousy and obsession. Their relationship lies at the dramatic heart of the opera and leads to its tragic conclusion. Darija Auguštan appeared as Micaëla, a character embodying tenderness and devotion, while Leon Košavić brought the confidence and energy of a toreador to the role of Escamillo.
The musical direction of the production was entrusted to Maestro Pier Giorgio Morandi, under whose baton the Orchestra of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb brought out the full richness of Bizet’s score, from familiar melodies such as the Habanera to the dramatic final scenes. The Opera ensemble, the Chorus and Ballet of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, and the Zvjezdice Children’s Choir also played an important role, their performances helping to create the opera’s vivid stage world.
The visual identity of the new production was shaped by set designer Juan Guillermo Nova, costume designer Cristina Aceti, lighting designer Jean Paul Carradori and choreographer Matilde Rubio. Together with the performances of the soloists and ensembles, their work created the stage setting in which the personal tragedy of the central characters unfolds before the eyes of the community. The new production of Carmen has generated enormous interest among Zagreb audiences, with all performances in October and November selling out weeks before opening night.
The opening night of Carmen came at an important moment for the CNT Opera, which has been shortlisted for the prestigious International Opera Awards 2026 as one of six finalists in the Opera Company category, alongside opera companies from Atlanta, London, Hamburg, Lyon and Madrid. With this new production of one of the major works in the operatic repertoire, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb continues to preserve the great operatic tradition while developing international artistic collaborations and inviting fresh interpretations of works whose themes still remain relevant today. Carmen, a woman who places freedom above all else, continues to provoke strong reactions, reminding us of the price that can be paid when love turns possessive and the will of another is refused.
