Roméo et Juliette

Julie Fuchs, französische Sopranistin, studierte Violine und Schauspiel in Avignon sowie Gesang am CNSM in Paris. Von 2013 bis 2015 gehörte sie zum Ensemble des Opernhauses Zürich und kehrt seither immer wieder nach Zürich zurück. Hier sang sie u.a. Morgana (Alcina), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Rosane (La verità in cimento), Contessa di Folleville (Il viaggio a Reims), Fiorilla (Il turco in Italia), Norina (Don Pasquale) sowie die Titelrolle in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Sie wurde dreimal bei den Victoires de la Musique ausgezeichnet und ist Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In jüngster Zeit war sie als Marie (La Fille du régiment) in Wien zu hören, als Fiorilla in Neapel, als Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare) in Amsterdam, als Leïla (Les Pêcheurs de perles) am Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, als Giunia (Lucio Silla) und Gilda (Rigoletto) in Madrid, als Musetta (La bohème) in München, als La Folie (Platée), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) und Nannetta (Falstaff) an der Opéra de Paris, als Susanna beim Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, als Mélisande und Poppea in Barcelona, als Partenope in San Francisco, als Micaëla (Carmen) in Gstaad, als Adèle (Le comte Ory) an der Opéra Comique, in Versailles und in Pesaro sowie auf Tournee mit Marc Minkowski und Les Musiciens du Louvre als Aspasia (Mitridate). 2024/25 kehrt sie als Marie an die Opéra de Paris und als Susanna an die Bayerische Staatsoper zurück. Ausserdem singt sie La Stronatrilla (L’Opera Seria) an der Mailänder Scala und Cleopatra am Liceu in Barcelona. Ihr drittes Soloalbum, Amadè, ist 2022 bei Sony erschienen.

Tenor Stephen Costello is from Philadelphia and studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts. In 2007, at the age of 26, he made his debut at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera season in New York. In 2009, he won the Richard Tucker Award. Since then, he has performed at the world’s leading opera houses and festivals, including the Royal Opera in London, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Vienna State Opera, the Opéra national de Paris, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Semperoper Dresden, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Hamburg State Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Washington National Opera, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Arena di Verona, as well as the Salzburg and Bregenz Festivals and the Glyndebourne Festival. His recent engagements include Pinkerton ("Madama Butterfly") at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Rodolfo ("La bohème"), the Duke of Mantua ("Rigoletto"), and Greenhorn ("Moby Dick") at the Metropolitan Opera, the title role in "Don Carlo" at the Bavarian State Opera and Dallas Opera, as well as his role debut as Edward Fairfax Vere ("Billy Budd") at the Teatro Colón. In concert, he has performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, gave a gala concert with Kristine Opolais in Mexico, and appeared in recitals with pianist Anthony Manoli. At the Zurich Opera House, he appeared as Roméo ("Roméo et Juliette") and in the title roles of "Roberto Devereux" and "Don Carlo".

French bass-baritone Nicolas Testé studied at the Opéra National de Paris and at the Centre de Formation Lyrique in Paris. In 1998, he won second prize at the “Voix Nouvelles” competition. He performs regularly on international stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Los Angeles Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Theater an der Wien, as well as at the Glyndebourne Festival and the Chorégies d’Orange.

In concert, he has appeared at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Semperoper Dresden, Philharmonie Munich, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

In the 2017/18 season, he sang Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor) at the Bavarian State Opera, Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, Giorgio Talbot (Maria Stuarda) in Zurich, Méphistophélès (Faust) and Alvise Badoero (La Gioconda by Ponchielli) at Deutsche Oper Berlin.

The 2018/19 season took him to the Opéra Bastille as Marcel in Les Huguenots, to the Met in New York as Nourabad in Les Pêcheurs de perles, to the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris as Hérode in L’enfance du Christ, and to the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona as Claudius in Thomas’ Hamlet. Most recently, in February 2020, he appeared as Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette at La Scala in Milan.

Chao Deng, Bass-Bariton, studierte in seiner Heimatstadt Tianjin sowie an der Hochschule für Musik Würzburg. Anschliessend absolvierte er ein Masterstudium bei Christian Elsner und besuchte die Liedklasse von Gerold Huber. Er war Teil des Opernstudios an der Hochschule für Musik in Weimar bei Prof. Dr. Michail Lanskoi und machte sein Meisterklasse-Examen an der Hochschule für Musik Dresden bei KS Prof. Matthias Henneberg. Nach einer Spielzeit im Thüringer Opernstudio am Nationaltheater Weimar gehörte Chao Deng für zwei Jahre zum Jungen Ensemble der Semperoper Dresden, wo er Partien wie Schaunard (La bohème), Priamus (Les Troyens), Antonio (Le nozze di Figaro), 2. Geharnischte (Die Zauberflöte) und Angelotti/Schliesser (Tosca) sang. Grosse Erfolge feierte er vor allem als De Retz in der Neuproduktion von Les Huguenots sowie in der Titelpartie in Häuptling Abendwind. Seit der Spielzeit 2020/21 gehört er zum Ensemble der Staatsoper Hamburg, wo als Peter (Hänsel und Gretel), Biterolf (Tannhäuser), Schaunard, Masetto (Don Giovanni), Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Don Fernando (Fidelio) und Lesbo (Agrippina) zu hören war. 2022/23 gab er sein erfolgreiches Rollendebüt als Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte). Neben seinen Verpflichtungen in Hamburg führten ihn Gastengagements u.a. als Priamus an die Bayerische Staatsoper München, als Alidoro (La Cenerentola) an die Semperoper Dresden, als Herr Fluth in der Neuproduktion Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor und als Betto di Signa (Gianni Schicchi) an die Staatsoperette Dresden, als Le Duc (Roméo et Juliette) an die Deutsche Oper am Rhein sowie als Fasolt (Das Rheingold) in die XingHai-Konzerthalle in Guangzhou China.

Gregory Feldmann studied at the Juilliard School with Elizabeth Bishop, Randall Scarlata, and Sanford Sylvan. At Juilliard Opera, he appeared as Belcore in “L’elisir d’amore”, as Virgil T. in “The Mother of Us All”, and as Guglielmo in “Così fan tutte”. At the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, he sang Almaviva in “Le nozze di Figaro”. As a soloist, he has performed in Fauré’s “Requiem” as well as Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” and “Messiah”. He has a close artistic partnership with pianist Nathaniel LaNasa. In 2019, he won first prize at the “Joy in Singing” International Song Competition and in 2021, first prize at the “Gerda Lissner” Song/Lieder Competition. In 2022, he was a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival. From 2022 to 2024, he was a member of the International Opera Studio at Zurich Opera House, where he appeared in productions including “Roberto Devereux”, “Don Pasquale”, “Serse”, “Jakob Lenz”, “Sweeney Todd”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “Carmen”. Together with pianist Nathaniel LaNasa, he has given song recitals at Wigmore Hall in London, at the September Festival: Royaumont in Viarmes (FR), and at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

Svetlina Stoyanova, a Bulgarian mezzo-soprano, was born in Sofia and began her musical career as a soloist in the children’s choir of the Bulgarian National Radio. After studying psychology at the University of Glasgow, she completed a bachelor’s degree with distinction and two master’s degrees in voice and opera at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Clare Shearer. In 2017, she won 1st prize at the International Singing Competition “Neue Stimmen” and 3rd prize at the Le Grand Prix de l’Opéra. Following these successes, she was invited by the Opéra de Nice Côte d’Azur and the Anthéa Théâtre to perform as Cherubino (“Le nozze di Figaro”) and in the title role of Rosina (“Il barbiere di Siviglia”) at the Bregenz Festival. From 2018 to 2020, she was a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble, performing roles such as Rosina (“Il barbiere di Siviglia”), Cherubino (“Le nozze di Figaro”), Dryad (“Ariadne auf Naxos”), and Rossweisse (“Die Walküre”). Since then, she has appeared at La Scala in Milan, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Hamburg State Opera, the Zurich Opera House, and the Glyndebourne Festival. Recent highlights include “La Cenerentola” in Düsseldorf, Athens, and Riga, Stéphano in “Roméo et Juliette” at Theater an der Wien and the Zurich Opera House, and Sesto (“Giulio Cesare”) and Ruggiero (“Alcina”) at the Glyndebourne Festival. She is also in demand as a concert singer, performing at venues such as the Musikverein in Vienna, London’s Wigmore Hall, and in Tokyo.

The tenor Omer Kobiljak is originally from Bosnia and was born in Switzerland. He studied singing with David Thorner, first at the Winterthur Conservatory and then at the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences in Aarau. He attended masterclasses with Jane Thorner-Mengedoht, David Thorner, and Jens Fuhr and won first prize with distinction at the Thurgau Music Competition in 2012. The following year, he sang a apprentice (“Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”) under Daniele Gatti at the Salzburg Festival and made his debut in the same role at La Scala in Milan in 2017. From the 2017/18 season, he was a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House, where he appeared in productions such as “La fanciulla del West,” “Parsifal,” “The Flying Dutchman,” and “La traviata.” He also performed as Lord Arturo Buklaw (“Lucia di Lammermoor”) and as the notary in the concert performance of “La sonnambula.” Since the 2019/20 season, Omer Kobiljak has been part of the ensemble at the Zurich Opera House, where he has sung roles including Abdallo (“Nabucco”), Macduff (“Macbeth”), Froh (“Das Rheingold”), Alfredo (“La traviata”), Tybalt (“Roméo et Juliette”), the Mad Hatter (“Alice in Wonderland”), and a singer (“Der Rosenkavalier”). His further engagements include Prince Alexis (Umberto Giordano’s “Siberia”), Yamadori (“Madama Butterfly”), and Don Riccardo (“Ernani”) at the Bregenz Festival, as well as the title role in “The Count of Luxembourg” at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl. In 2023, Omer Kobiljak was a finalist in the Operalia Competition in Cape Town. Most recently, he made his house debuts as Lord Arturo Buklaw at the Semperoper Dresden, as Froh at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and as Narraboth (“Salome”) at the Baltic Opera Festival in Poland.

Irène Friedli grew up in Räuchlisberg, Switzerland, and completed her studies at the Basel Music Academy with a soloist diploma. The alto furthered her training in the interpretation class of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in Berlin, attended masterclasses with Brigitte Fassbaender, and studied with Helen Keller. She has won numerous awards at international song competitions. Since 1994, she has been a member of the ensemble at the Zurich Opera House. Here, she has sung roles including Second and Third Lady ("The Magic Flute"), Mercédès ("Carmen"), the title role in Ravel’s "L’Enfant et les sortilèges," Elsbeth ("Schlafes Bruder"), Lily ("Harley"), Annina and Flora ("La traviata"), Flosshilde ("Das Rheingold," "Götterdämmerung"), Marcellina ("Le nozze di Figaro"), Emilia ("Otello"), Lucia ("Cavalleria rusticana"), Olga in Peter Eötvös’ "Drei Schwestern," Marthe (Gounod’s "Faust"), Margret ("Wozzeck"), Lovis in Jörn Arnecke’s "Ronja Räubertochter," Flower Maiden and Voice from Above ("Parsifal"), Gertrud/Crone ("Hänsel und Gretel"), Clotilde ("Norma"), Mother/Other Mother ("Coraline"), Card Dealer ("Arabella"), and Nurse ("Boris Godunow"). In the world premiere of the family opera "Odyssee," she portrayed Eurycleia/Mother, and in "Girl with a Pearl Earring" she sang Tanneke. In 2012, she appeared at the Opéra Bastille in Paris. Most recently in Zurich, she has performed roles including the Queen of Hearts ("Alice in Wonderland"), Filipjewna ("Eugene Onegin"), Tisbe ("La Cenerentola"), Miss Bentson ("Lakmé"), Frau Waas/Frau Mahlzahn ("Jim Knopf"), Head Cook ("Amerika"), Ninetta ("I vespri siciliani"), Annina ("Der Rosenkavalier"), and Gertrud/Crone ("Hänsel und Gretel").

Valeriy Murga studied at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv. He was a finalist both at the 41st International Singing Competition in Toulouse (1996) and at the 7th Julian Gayarre Competition in Pamplona (1998). In 1997, he won second prize at the Maria Callas Grand Prix in Athens and took part in the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1999. From 1997 to 1999, he was a soloist at the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv, where he performed, among others, Figaro ("Le nozze di Figaro"), Escamillo ("Carmen"), Schaunard ("La bohème") and the title roles in "Jewgeni Onegin", "Don Giovanni" and "Prince Igor". His repertoire also includes roles such as the Marchese di Posa ("Don Carlo") and Shaklovity ("Chowanschtschina"). At Zurich Opera House, he was initially a member of the International Opera Studio and during this time appeared, among other roles, as Sciarrone and the Jailer ("Tosca") and as Monterone ("Rigoletto"). Since the beginning of the 2000/01 season, he has been a permanent member of the ensemble at Zurich Opera House and has since appeared here, among other roles, as Prince Yeletsky ("Pique Dame"), Moralès ("Carmen"), Second Soldier ("Salome"), Alessio ("La sonnambula"), Ali ("L’italiana in Algeri"), Wagner ("Faust"), Sacristan ("Tosca") and Bogdanowitsch ("Die lustige Witwe"), as well as in family operas including "Das Gespenst von Canterville", "Robin Hood", "Das verzauberte Schwein", "Jim Knopf" and "Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig". He has also appeared as a guest in Eugen d’Albert’s "Tiefland" at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and in "L’italiana in Algeri" at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, and has performed in concerts at the Tonhalle Zurich. In the 2026/27 season, he will appear at Zurich Opera House, among other roles, as the Old Servant in "Elektra" and as Alcindoro in Puccini’s "La bohème".

Baritone Steffan Lloyd Owen is from Wales and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He received numerous singing awards, including the W. Towyn Roberts Scholarship Prize, the Blue Riband Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary Prize. In 2025, he won the Josep Palet Singing Competition and was a finalist at the Paris Opera Competition. He sang Sciarrone and the Jailer in a semi-staged "Tosca" alongside Sir Bryn Terfel and Kristine Opolais at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Escamillo ("La tragédie de Carmen") at the Buxton International Festival, and Guglielmo ("Così fan tutte") at the Welsh National Opera. Concert highlights included Beethoven’s Mass in C major and "Choral Fantasy" with the BBC National Orchestra, Chorus of Wales, and the orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. Since the 2024/25 season, he has been a member of the International Opera Studio, where he has sung, among other roles, the title role in "Gianni Schicchi".

Samson Setu, Bariton, begann seine Ausbildung in Neuseeland, wo er Mitglied des Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Programme for Young Singers war, und studierte am Royal College of Music in London. Ab 2020 war er Mitglied im Lindeman Young Artist Program der Metropolitan Opera New York, wo er in Don Carlo einen der Flämischen Deputierten sang. Er war Finalist bei der Dame Malvina Major Aria Competition und der IFAC Handa Australia Singing Competition. An der New Zealand Opera war er in Gilbert and Sullivans Trial By Jury als Usher zu hören. Seit der Spielzeit 2023/24 ist er Mitglied des Internationalen Opernstudios am Opernhaus Zürich.

Maximilian Lawrie studierte am Magdalen College der University of Oxford und an der Royal Academy of Music in London. Dort war er als Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos, Interrogator 2 in Witch, als Rodolfo in La bohème, als Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, als First Sailor in Dido and Aeneas, als Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, als Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, als Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in der Titelrolle von Werther und als Faust in Mefistofele zu hören. Zudem sang er Rodolfo an der Rogue Opera sowie Don José in Carmen an der Rogue Opera und der Cambridge University Opera Society. Seit der Spielzeit 2022/23 ist er Mitglied des Internationalen Opernstudios am Opernhaus Zürich und war hier als Kaufmann (Jakob Lenz) und Tom Snout (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) sowie in Il trovatore, La traviata, Salome, Roméo et Juliette und Die Zauberflöte zu sehen.

Davide Pillera begann seine tänzerische Ausbildung im Alter von 9 Jahren an der sizilianischen Tanzschule «All Jazz». Dort lernte er verschiedene Tanzstile wie Hip-Hop, Modern Jazz und klassischer Tanz. Im Alter von 17 Jahren begann er seine berufliche Laufbahn am Nationalen Tanzkonservatorium in Lyon (Frankreich) und absolvierte sein Studium als professioneller Tänzer im zeitgenössischen Tanz im Jahr 2016.

Oriana Zeoli (Künstlername: Glory), begann im Alter von fünf Jahren mit Ballett und Hip-Hop an der Tanzschule «Marciano und Minasi Tanz» in Bassersdorf. 2015 erweiterte Glory ihre Tanzsprache bei Popping Mike sowie mit House und Hip-Hop bei Lori Pisano. Anschliessend sammelte sie Bühnen- und Battle-Erfahrungen im In- und Ausland und performte in verschiedenen Videodrehs. Durch das Reisen in diverse Städte wie Los Angeles, New York und Montreal konnte sie neue Eindrücke gewinnen und ihr Wissen vertiefen. Die Neugier auf mehr führte Glory 2021 nach Paris, wo sie intensives Training und den Austausch mit verschiedenen Pionieren erleben durfte und sogleich einen Vertrag mit einer Tanzcompany vor Ort abschliessen konnte. Über Muhammed Kaltuk, den Leiter der Company «MEK», kam sie schliesslich in Berührung mit der Theaterwelt. Seitdem tanzte sie in zahlreichen Theaterstücken, u.a. in Poems from Inner Space und Quest mit der Kompanie Prisma Kollektiv am Kurtheater Baden, Territory mit der Company MEK am Theater Basel, A Seat at the Table im Rosengarten Bern und Into the Dark in Wiesbaden. Am Opernhaus Zürich war sie bereits in Barkouf und Roméo et Juliette zu sehen. Seit 2021 tanzt sie in der Kompanie Rêvolution unter der Leitung von Anthony Égéa und ist mit Explosion Teil einer Frankreich-Tournee. Mit ihrer Tanzpartnerin Maren Wittig gründete sie 2022 das Kollektiv «Female Finesse», mit dem sie abendfüllende Stücke tanzt und choreografiert. Glorys Choreografie von Not Where, but Who wurde jüngst mit dem Preis «Tanzfaktor 2024» ausgezeichnet.