The renowned mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča will make her debut as Tosca at the Greek National Opera

The Greek National Opera announces a major international highlight for the 2026/27 season. The mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, one of the most important performers of our time, will take on the role of Floria Tosca, one of the most challenging operatic roles for a soprano, for the first time in her career. This fascinating debut will mark Garanča’s first collaboration with the Greek National Opera in a production of Tosca to be presented at the Stavros Niarchos Hall, conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi and featuring stage direction, sets, and costumes by Nikos S. Petropoulos.

The two performances of Tosca starring Elīna Garanča will take place on 24 and 28 January 2027. Performing alongside her will be the distinguished tenor Charles Castronovo in the role of Cavaradossi, while the acclaimed Greek baritone Dimitri Platanias will portray Scarpia.

Tickets for Tosca will go on sale on 1 November 2026. Booking for the members of operaclub.nationalopera.gr has already opened.

Garanča’s debut as Tosca is a special artistic endeavour for one of the most prominent mezzo-sopranos of our time and marks the international star’s first performance at the Greek National Opera. Her artistic career includes leading roles from the global repertoire, which have showcased her unique stage presence and outstanding expressive power. Among them, a special place is held by Bizet’s Carmen, a role with which she has been identified as only a few performers of our time have been, and for which the New York Times has praised her as ‘the finest Carmen in 25 years’. From the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Milan, and Opéra national de Paris to the Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals, Garanča has carved out a rare artistic trajectory, collaborating with renowned conductors, the most important stage directors of our time, and world-class orchestras, and has built a superb discography in exclusive collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon.

Elīna Garanča notes about her Tosca debut: ‘It seems that in my life, even the wildest dreams sometimes come true. Tosca has been one of my favourite operas for as long as I can remember, and Maria Callas, with her extraordinary artistry, has always been the ultimate example for me of what is possible in this role. Yet, as a mezzo-soprano, I never imagined that Tosca would one day be part of my own path. As I have grown older, I have realised that if we do not reach out for our dreams, they will probably not come looking for us. Perhaps it is no coincidence that our home is called Villa Tosca. This opera has been such a personal part of my life that bringing Tosca into my repertoire feels like much more than simply taking on a new role. It feels like finally daring to open a door to one of my deepest and most passionate dreams that I have carried quietly within me for a very, very long time.’

SHORT BIO

With a remarkable career spanning decades, Elīna Garanča is a mezzo-soprano of international acclaim. Her journey from Riga, Latvia, to the world’s most prestigious opera houses has been marked by exceptional artistry and dedication. Garnering critical acclaim and captivating audiences worldwide, she has become a prominent figure in the realm of classical music. Recent highlights include her European tour with Verdi’s Messa da Requiem under the baton of Daniele Gatti and the Staatskapelle Dresden. In 2024, she made her Bayreuth Festival debut as Kundry (Parsifal), becoming the first Latvian female singer to perform on this prestigious stage.

As an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophon, after her nine solo albums, she released her first solo lieder album, followed by the album Live from Salzburg, which was released in December 2021, documenting two exceptional events at the Salzburg Festival in the summers of 2020 and 2021 with the Vienna Philharmonic and Christian Thielemann. Elīna Garanča reflects on the facets of the night in her latest Deutsche Grammophon album, When Night Falls, released in 2024. Elīna has been the recipient of numerous national and international awards, greatly cherishing the title of Kammersängerin honoured by the Wiener Staatsoper for her devotion to the House, singing over one hundred and sixty performances of eighteen roles since her debut in the House in 2003.