Music
L’Orfeo By Claudio Monteverdi
30/10/2026 - 14/11/2026
Athens
© William Kentridge Drawings for L'Orfeo
The Greek National Opera presents Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo for the first time, from 30 October to 14 November 2026 at the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC).
The work tells the familiar myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a love story put to the ultimate test by death. When Eurydice dies suddenly, Orpheus resolves to descend into the Underworld to bring her back. Through the power of his music, he manages to move the gods and secure the chance to return with her to the world of the living.
To succeed, however, he must abide by one strict condition: he must not look back until they have both reached the world above. Anxiety and doubt will test his love and faith in a story that explores loss, hope and the limits of human power.
The new opera production is directed by internationally renowned visual artist William Kentridge, with orchestration by Nico Muhly and conducted by Konstantinos Terzakis.
The work tells the familiar myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a love story put to the ultimate test by death. When Eurydice dies suddenly, Orpheus resolves to descend into the Underworld to bring her back. Through the power of his music, he manages to move the gods and secure the chance to return with her to the world of the living.
To succeed, however, he must abide by one strict condition: he must not look back until they have both reached the world above. Anxiety and doubt will test his love and faith in a story that explores loss, hope and the limits of human power.
The new opera production is directed by internationally renowned visual artist William Kentridge, with orchestration by Nico Muhly and conducted by Konstantinos Terzakis.