Ólafur Sigurðarson, a celebrated star of Wagner productions at Bayreuth, Berlin and Milan makes his debut as Macbeth at the Hungarian State Opera on 7 and 12 June. In Matthew Wild’s acclaimed production, he is joined by Csilla Boross, Sándor Köpeczi / Aleksei Kulagin, and Szabolcs Brickner in the main roles. The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus are conducted by Kálmán Szennai.
In Verdi’s timeless opera about the regicidal Scottish thane and his instigating wife, the composer not only tells a violent story of the pursuit of power, but also reveals the inner collapse of those who secure their rule through bloodshed. Matthew Wild’s 2025 production, enhanced by striking video projections, portrays the protagonists’ psychological torment through powerful imagery inspired by both Scottish traditions and the present day.
In recent years, Ólafur Sigurðarson has earned international acclaim primarily as a Wagnerian singer. His performances as Alberich have been celebrated by audiences at the Bayreuth Festival, La Scala in Milan, and Deutsche Oper Berlin. The Icelandic artist is equally experienced in the major Verdi roles: he has portrayed Macbeth to great success on several recent occasions at the Prague National Theatre, while over the past two decades he has also won praise from audiences and critics alike for the role at Opera Holland Park in London and at the Saarland State Theatre in Saarbrücken.
Appearing alongside him in both performances is Csilla Boross, who created the role of Lady Macbeth in the highly successful Budapest premiere. She has previously performed the role in Modena, Marseille, Mexico, and in Muscat as part of a guest appearance by Trieste’s Teatro Verdi. On 7 June, the roles of Banquo and the Doctor are performed by Sándor Köpeczi. One of Transylvania’s most sought-after basses, he has appeared this season at some of the world’s leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Paris Opera, the Royal Ballet and Opera in London, and the Bavarian State Opera. He arrives in Budapest directly from performances in the Royal Danish Opera’s production of Macbeth. On 12 June, the two roles are performed by Aleksei Kulagin, second prize winner of the 2022 Éva Marton International Singing Competition, who previously won the Budapest audience’s affection as Varlaam in Boris Godunov. The young bass most recently sang the Doctor at the 2023 Salzburg Festival and is scheduled to appear as Banquo in Hamburg this autumn. Returning from the original premiere cast as Macduff and Malcolm are two leading tenors of their generation: Chamber Singer Szabolcs Brickner and Barna Bartos.
The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus (chorus director: Gábor Csiki) are conducted at both performances by Kálmán Szennai. Renowned for a broad repertoire ranging from Mozart to contemporary Hungarian composers, the conductor now adds another Verdi work to his repertoire, while continuing his nearly two decades of involvement in opera preparation as a répétiteur.
The casts for the 7 and 12 June performances of Macbeth also demonstrate that this production is not built around a single star attraction. On each occasion, audiences can look forward to outstanding artists whose performances promise a memorable Verdi experience.
Photo by Isolde Stein-Leibold
