In the upcoming 2024/2025 season, the Latvian National Opera and Ballet will present five new productions: the operas Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Salome, and Flavio, re de' Longobardi, alongside the ballets Casanova and Esmeralda. Three of these productions will be created by Latvian artistic teams.

The season kicks off on September 26 with the premiere of Jacques Offenbach's opera Les Contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann). Based on E. T. A. Hoffman’s short stories which explore the notions of romantic ideals as well as true love, allowing the composer to create a rich musical score. The fifth staging of Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Latvian National Opera will be conducted by French maestro Frédéric Chaslin. Directed by Aik Karapetian, with set design by Miķelis Fišers, costumes by Kristīne Pasternaka, choreography by Linda Mīļā, and lighting design by Eugenijus Sabaliauskas, this production promises to be a captivating and visually stunning experience, accompanied by beautiful music.

On November 2, the premiere of choreographer Kenneth Tindall and composer Kerry Muzzey's ballet Casanova will take place. This ballet, which had its world premiere in March 2017 with the British company Northern Ballet, vividly portrays the life of the legendary 18th-century lover Giacomo Casanova. The creative team behind this work includes choreographer Kenneth Tindall, playwright Ian Kelly, composer Kerry Muzzey, and set and costume designer Christopher Oram.

At the chamber music concert Tell Me About Love on November 16, soloists Jūlija Vasiļjeva and Artjoms Safronovs, along with pianist Ilze Ozoliņa, will perform the music of Benjamin Britten.

From November 8, the concert performance The Sound of Music, a family-friendly show, will return to the New Hall. It offers a chance to revisit the beloved characters from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's world-famous musical.

This season, the cherished New Year’s Gala concerts will begin on December 18, once again creating a festive atmosphere.

On January 17, Giuseppe Verdi's opera Macbeth will return to the repertoire. This striking production, which received four nominations of the Latvian Theatre Award Spēlmaņu nakts, was created by director Viesturs Meikšāns, set designer Reinis Suhanovs, costume designers MAREUNROL’S, video artist -8, choreographer Linda Mīļā, and lighting designer Kevin Wyn-Jones.

On February 21, the premiere of Richard Strauss's opera Salome will take place, directed and designed by Alvis Hermanis. The opera's libretto is a German translation of Oscar Wilde's famous play Salome. In this story, Princess Salome of Judea is infatuated with Jochanaan, the prophet of new faith. When King Herod invites Salome to perform a dance for him, she demands a ruthless price in return – the princess wants the prophet’s head… Director Alvis Hermanis transports us to modern Israel – a place where ideologies and religions have tangled in a tight knot, more so than anywhere else in the world. The production’s creative team includes director and set designer Alvis Hermanis, costume designer Jana Čivžele, lighting designer Oskars Pauliņš, and video artist Ineta Sipunova.

On March 25, in remembrance of the 1949 deportations, a concert titled God, Thy Earth is Aflame! will take place in the Great Hall. The program will feature the cantata God, Thy Earth is Aflame! by Lūcija Garūta and Andrejs Eglītis, newly orchestrated by Arturs Maskats, along with Brīnumzeme by Pēteris Barisons and Lacrimosa by Arturs Maskats.

On April 10, the Latvian National Ballet will introduce a new production of the ballet Esmeralda, choreographed by Aivars Leimanis. This powerful tale of love and death, based on Victor Hugo's famous novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, will be brought to life with set designs by Mārtiņš Vilkārsis and costumes by Ilze Vītoliņa. This marks the fourth staging of Esmeralda in Latvian ballet history.

The season’s final premiere, scheduled for May 18, will be George Frideric Handel's opera Flavio, re de' Longobardi (Flavio, King of Lombardy). The plot revolves around Flavio's desire for his counsellor’s daughter, Teodata, sparking a series of events where love and political intrigue mix with both tragedy and comedy. Handel composed Flavio in 1723, and it remains a rarity in the operatic repertoire. Latvian audiences will have the chance to experience this work in the acclaimed 2023 production from the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, directed by Croatian countertenor Max Emanuel Cenčić, with set design by Helmut Stürmer and costumes by Corina Grămoșteanu.

As per tradition, the New Hall will host Possible..., an evening of classical and contemporary ballet, on May 23. This event will showcase new works by emerging choreographers, and artists from the Latvian National Ballet will perform excerpts from their dream roles.

The season will conclude with the Riga Opera Festival, offering audiences a chance to enjoy the highlights of the past season.

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For more details on the new season of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, visit www.opera.lv or explore the Season Book, available in print at the LNOB box office or in digital form online.