Turandot

The Greek National Opera presents the masterful opera Turandot at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Giacomo Puccini’s swan song, nearly a century after its creation, opens this year’s programme at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, in a new majestic production on 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8 June 2025, conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi, directed by Andrei Şerban, with sets and costumes designed by Chloe Obolensky.



The opera’s plot is set in another time, in the distant and exotic China, where Princess Turandot will only marry the man who can solve her three riddles. All those who have tried, have failed and paid the price with their lives. Stunned by her amazing beauty, an unknown prince insists on trying his luck, and he is indeed successful. However, after he solves the riddles, Turandot refuses to marry him. The prince offers her a chance to release herself from her commitment if she can guess his name before the break of dawn.

Turandot, Giacomo Puccini’s last opera, is the most majestic of them all. The score combines the light elements of commedia dell’arte with the profound lyricism that characterises all of Puccini’s operas, along with a sense of grandeur that reflects a fantastical version of imperial China. Recognising the changes that occurred in the early 20th-century musical landscape, the composer chose to differentiate his writing by following new musical paths. Therefore, despite the fact that this work is undoubtedly rooted in the 19th century, its innovative musical language places it among the finest masterpieces of the 20th century.

For the new production of Turandot –17 years after its last presentation in Greece–, the Greek National Opera collaborates with high-profile and world-acclaimed artists.