In Seville, Carmen seduces the young brigadier Don José before their passion turns to tragedy. "She leaves him, he kills her": Bizet's plot echoes a tragically recurring reality, making Carmen more political than ever. Jeanne Desoubeaux and a company of ten artists take over the urban space, where public debate can unfold. The Opéra-Comique invites audiences to this lyrical walk, from the Cité internationale des Arts to the Collège François Couperin, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.

Carmen: itinerant opera-landscape

Cité Internationale des Arts

Bringing Wim Wenders' cinematic masterpiece to the stage: this is the co[opera]tive's bold gamble.

In a Berlin divided by the Wall, two angels wander among humans, collecting their intimate thoughts. One of them, Damielle, a female character, falls in love with a trapeze artist and chooses to renounce eternity to become human.

In this adaptation, the roles are reversed: humans embody the angels, and puppets symbolize the humans. Grégory Voillemet signs a sensitive and inventive staging, and Othman Louati composes a moving score, where voices and instruments weave an emotional and sensory fresco carried in particular by Marie-Laure Garnier, Romain Dayez and the Ensemble Miroirs Étendus.

Les Ailes du désir

Opéra-Théâtre Clermont-Ferrand

Under a country’s authoritarian regime, being gay is a harshly punished crime. A crime for which Zylan, a young pop singer, is persecuted, tried, imprisoned, and at last forced to name names during numerous interrogations. Zylan Won’t Sing Anymore is a monodrama, a rare form of opera centred on the character and baring his every thought. Composer Diana Soh and librettist Yann Verburgh wished to create an opera fit for all, especially for teenagers, a sung piece on a major current issue, still underrepresented in the field of opera: homophobia. The piece blends music with spoken and sung voice and recounts the sealing of Zylan’s fate through the performance of a tenor and three musical instruments – cello, guitar, and percussion. This thought-provoking opera echoes the abuse suffered in our own world by those whose sexual orientation is seen as dissident.

Benoît Rameau

Events

Upcoming events

24 - 27 Sep, 2026

Carmen: itinerant opera-landscape · Opéra Comique

26 - 29 Jan, 2027

Zylan Won’t Sing Anymore · Opéra National De Lyon

Past events

24 - 27 Sep, 2026

Carmen: itinerant opera-landscape · Opéra Comique

Feb 7, 2026

Les Ailes du désir · Clermont Auvergne Opéra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Singer in Carmen by Bizet

Opéra Comique

Peter in Les Ailes du désir by Louati

Clermont Auvergne Opéra

Zylan in Zylan Won’t Sing Anymore by Soh

Opéra National De Lyon

About

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