The ballet company of the Hungarian State Opera presents The Nutcracker at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice five times between 25 February and 1 March 2026. The sold-out series, attracting a total of five thousand spectators, features double casting in the leading roles: among the principal soloists, Maria Beck and Boris Zhurilov, as well as Tatyjana Melnyik and Motomi Kiyota are to perform. The Orchestra of Teatro La Fenice is conducted by Gábor Hontvári.
Over the past seven and a half decades, the Christmas production of The Nutcracker has become inseparably associated in Hungary with the ballet company of the Hungarian State Opera. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s beloved fairy-tale ballet, based on the story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, has captivated audiences night after night since 2015 in a richer production than ever before, choreographed by Wayne Eagling and Tamás Solymosi, at the Budapest Opera House. The company’s high-level technical expertise and expressive performance skills, combined with its spectacular visual design, convinced the management of the historic opera house that the Hungarian National Ballet’s production is worthy of the stage of the prestigious opera house in the heart of Venice. The Hungarian State Opera is travelling to Italy with a company of nearly 160 people: 61 dancers of the ballet ensemble and 40 students of the Hungarian National Ballet Institute are taking part in the large-scale production.
With a history spanning more than 230 years, Teatro La Fenice is renowned not only for its unparalleled acoustics and ornate building, but also for having hosted the world premieres of several of Verdi’s operas, including Rigoletto, La traviata, and Simon Boccanegra, in addition to works by the great composers of the bel canto tradition. Unlike the historic opera houses of other cities (such as Milan, Rome, Naples, or Palermo), however, it does not maintain its own ballet company; instead, distinguished Italian and international guest ensembles present their productions during the seasons, accompanied by the Orchestra of La Fenice. The ballet company of the Hungarian State Opera returns to Venice after 51 years. On its previous visit in 1975, it achieved great success over two evenings with The Cedar by László Seregi and Frigyes Hidas. The leading roles were performed by Imre Dózsa, Mária Kékesi, and Vera Szumrák, and the Orchestra of the Venetian opera house was conducted by Tamás Pál.
