Passionate Carmen: Opera, Ballet – Closing Ceremony
An iconic story of love and unbridled passion, presented by opera stars – Ester Pavlů, Joseph Calleja and Svatopluk Sem – and ballet personalities of the Rome Opera, choreographed by Jiří Bubeníček.
- Photos for the visual of Carmen Passion: opera, ballet
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Artists
Ester Pavlů – mezzo-soprano
Joseph Calleja – tenor
Svatopluk Sem – baritone
Jiří Bubeníček – choreography
Les Ballets Bubeníček – soloists of the Rome Opera Ballet
--- Rebecca Bianchi
--- Alessio Rezza
--- Javier Rojas
--- Simone Argò
Tomas Brauner – conductor
Prague Philharmonia
Program
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Carmen – selection from opera
With support of
Ester Pavlů
Ester Pavlová, one of the most promising singers and mezzo-sopranos of the younger generation, studied at the HAMU with Helena Kaupová and has performed on the most important national and international stages. At the Prague National Theatre Opera and the Prague State Opera, she sang the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, the Queen in Švanda the Piper and the Foreign Princess in Dvořák’s Rusalka. She has mainly performed abroad: she toured the United Kingdom and the United States, made her debut in Basel as Santuzza, in Riga as Eboli in Don Carlos, at the National Theatre in Sofia in the title role of Rossini’s Cinderella and also made her debut in Vienna this season at the Theater an dem Wien as the Ice Queen in Švanda’s Bagpipes. She has worked with leading ensembles and conductors such as J. Bělohlávek, P. Inkinen, D. G. Carreras, P. Popelka, F. Chaslin, J. Cura, A. Jurkevyč, J. Valčuha and many others.
Joseph Calleja
Tenor Joseph Calleja is often compared to legendary singers such as Jussi Björling, Beniamino Gigli and Enrico Caruso. The Maltese-born singer, who began singing at the age of 16 in a church choir, made his debut on the opera stage at the age of 19, shortly before winning the prize in the Hans Gabor Belvedere competition that launched his international career. In 1998 he won the Caruso in Milan and in 1999, when he made his US debut at the Spoleto Festival, he won an award in Plácido Domingo’s Operalia. Since then, he has performed with world opera companies. He is regularly invited to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Covent Garden in London, Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, etc. One of the most sought-after tenors on both sides of the Atlantic, he has sung at least 28 major operatic roles. Joseph Calleja is one of the biggest celebrities of his native country. In 2012, he became Malta’s first Cultural Ambassador and was also appointed Air Malta’s Brand Ambassador. In 2013, he set up a foundation to help children and families in need.
Svatopluk Sem
Baritone Svatopluk Sem studied at the České Budějovice Conservatory. He then joined the South Bohemian Theatre as an opera soloist and since 2022 he has been permanently engaged at the National Theatre in Prague. He is a regular guest at almost all opera houses in the Czech Republic. He has toured Japan with the Prague State Opera with a production of La traviata in the role of Germont. For this role he won the Thalia Award. He has appeared at the prestigious BBC Proms Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in London, collaborated with the National Theatre in Brno, the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava, the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen and has also performed at the Teatro Regio di Torino in Italy. He has been a guest and performer in Denmark, South Korea, China, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Italy, Great Britain and the USA, accompanied by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra Zlín, Prague Philharmonia, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, where he was a regular guest.
Jiří Bubeníček
World-renowned choreographer Jiří Bubeníček was the first soloist of the Hamburg State Ballet and the Semper Opera in Dresden. He has guest-starred on prestigious stages around the world, including the Paris Opera, where he excelled as Armand in Neumeier’s ballet The Lady with the Camellias. He won the “Oscar of dance” – the Benois de la Danse award. Since 1999 he has been choreographing and has created works for ballet companies in New York, San Francisco, Milan, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna, Hamburg, Dortmund and many other theatres. His oeuvre includes more than 75 choreographic works, ranging from dance miniatures to full-length ballets. Among the best known are Cyrano de Bergerac, Anita Berber – Queen of the Night, La Strada, Doctor Zhivago, The Piano, Kafka’s Trial, Spartacus, My Country, Rusalka, Orpheus and Cinderella. He won the Europa in Danza Award for Carmen and the prestigious Boris Papandopoulos Award for Best Ballet Performance of the 2021/22 season for Romeo and Juliet. He is the founder of Les Ballets Bubeníček and holds a Master’s degree in Dance Pedagogy from the prestigious Palucca University of Dance in Dresden. He contributed to the development of dance education by founding Bubeníček Ballet Masterclasses. For his artistic achievements and contributions he has received the Gratias Agit Award and the Silver Medal of the City of Prague.
Rebecca Bianchi
Rebecca studied at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, first under Anna Maria Prima until 2006, then under Frédéric Olivieri until 2009, when she graduated and joined the Corps de Ballet of the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. In 2015, she was appointed Prima Ballerina of the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. Throughout her career, she has performed leading roles in ballets such as Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppélia, La Sylphide, La Bayadère, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, and many others, working with celebrated choreographers including Roland Petit, Alvin Ailey, Maurice Béjart, George Balanchine, and Jiří Kylián. She has also premiered works by Frédéric Olivieri, Francesco Ventriglia, and Davide Bombana, and performed in special events like the opening of the Turin Olympic Games alongside Roberto Bolle. She has guested with the Bordeaux Opera and appeared in numerous international galas. In 2009 she was honored with the “Milano Donna” award by the Mayor of Milan, and in 2015 she received the “Tersicore” award for her interpretation of Giselle. In 2016, she danced in the Les Étoiles Gala and was named Emerging Dancer of the Year by Danza & Danza.
Alessio Rezza
Alessio, born in Bari in 1989, is an Italian ballet dancer. He trained at the La Scala Ballet School in Milan and danced with La Scala Ballet, Maggio Musicale in Florence, and the Paris Opera. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Rome Opera Ballet, where he was promoted to Soloist (2015), First Soloist (2018), and Étoile (2022). He has performed leading roles such as Basilio in Don Quixote, Albrecht in Giselle, James in La Sylphide, the Prince in The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, Frédéri in L’Arlésienne, Solor in La Bayadère, Colas in La Fille Mal Gardée, Franz in Coppélia, and Lensky in Onegin. He has collaborated with renowned international choreographers (Forsythe, Kylián, Nureyev, Béjart, Petit, and others) and trained with esteemed masters such as Baryshnikov, Bocca, Hilaire, Martinez, and Guillem. In 2023, he performed in A Thousand Tales at Dubai Opera and appeared at the Les Étoiles and Cigno Nero galas. In 2024, he portrayed Prince Siegfried in the televised recording of Swan Lake on Rai5. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including Danza & Danza, Danza in Fiera, Premio Anita Bucchi, Premio Positano, Roma è Arte, Europa in Danza, and Schiaccianoci d’Oro.
Javier Rojas
Javier was born in Vedado, Cuba, and graduated from the National Ballet School of Cuba. Since 2021, he has been dancing with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and previously performed with the Royal Swedish Ballet and Acosta Danza. In 2019, he won the Amici competition. At the Birmingham Royal Ballet, he has performed roles in productions such as Don Quixote (Gypsy Couple), City of a Thousand Trades, 24, Black Sabbath – The Ballet, Interlinked, Hotel, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. With Acosta Danza, he appeared in ballets including A Buenos Aires, Majisimo, Belles Lettres, Twelve, Imponderable, Paysage, soudain, la nuit, Rooster, End of Time, and Thousand Years After. At the Royal Swedish Ballet, he danced in Processen (Josef K.) choreographed by Jiří Bubeníček. At the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, he performed the role of Don José in Carmen, also choreographed by Bubeníček. He is a versatile interpreter of both classical and modern roles and has collaborated with leading international choreographers and companies. His artistry stands out for its technique, expression, and stylistic versatility, which he brings to every performance.
Simone Argò
Simone was born in 1998 and graduated from the Ballet School of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, where he entered with a scholarship at the age of 13. He has a strong background in classical technique, partnering, and contemporary dance, and has also studied music and dance history. Since 2017, he has been a Soloist with the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, directed by Eleonora Abbagnato. Throughout his career, he has performed in numerous classical and modern roles, including Carmen (Remendado, Picador, and Lucas), Giselle (Contadini pas de deux), Don Quixote (Basilio and Chief of Gipsies), and The Nutcracker (Prince and soloist roles), as well as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty (Bluebird), and La Fille mal gardée (Colas). He has also worked with renowned choreographers such as Roland Petit, Baryshnikov, Peparini, Forsythe, Wheeldon, Bigonzetti, Nureyev, Fracci, McMillan, Robbins, and others, appearing in ballets such as Blanche Neige, Proust, Manon, In the Night, Notre Dame de Paris, Il Corsaro, and many more. He has participated in productions like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Raymonda, The Fantastic Toyshop, and The Carnival of the Animals, and received numerous accolades, including the Oscar of Dance, Europe in Dance, and the Dance & Dance Award 2024. His versatility shines across classical and contemporary works, making him one of the notable talents of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
Tomáš Brauner
Chief Conductor of the Capital City Symphony Orchestra and from the 2024/2025 season also chief conductor of the Slovak National Theatre Opera in Bratislava graduated in oboe and conducting at the State Conservatory in Prague and in conducting at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. He regularly collaborates with the Czech Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonia, Müncher Symphoniker, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and many others. He is also an opera conductor and at the State Opera, the National Theatre and the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre he has conducted Puccini’s La Bohème and Tosca, Verdi’s Otello, Nabucco and Traviata, Bizet’s Carmen and many others. He is a frequent guest of international music festivals such as Bad Kissingen and the Richard Strauss Festival in Garmisch Parten-Kirchen, and in 2022 he made his debut in the Elbe Philharmonic in Hamburg.
Prague Philharmonia
Prague Philharmonia was founded in 1994 on the initiative of the world-famous conductor Jiří Bělohlávek under the original name of the Prague Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. In the 30 years of its existence, the orchestra has earned recognition throughout the music world thanks to its international tours, but also thanks to its internationally acclaimed albums and recordings. Prague Philharmonia is praised for its unique sound, but also for its repertoire, which is mainly focused on the works of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Jakub Hrůša, Julian Rachlin, Martha Argerich, Jefim Bronfman, András Schiff, Gil Shaham, Isabelle Faust, Emmanuel Pahud, Luciano Pavarotti, Diana Damrau, Plácido Domingo, Gautier Capuçon, Maxim Vengerov, Mischa Maisky, Juan Diego Flórez, Jonas Kaufmann and many others have performed with the orchestra.
The Prague Philharmonia performs with the long-term support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
