Juraj Valčuha

Puccini’s La fanciulla del West opened the 2017/18 opera season at Naples’ Teatro di San Carlo, returning to the theatre after more than four decades. Set in the California Gold Rush, this Western drama follows Minnie, the resourceful owner of a miners’ saloon, whose love for the mysterious Dick Johnson challenges the authority of Sheriff Jack Rance. The new production, directed and designed by Hugo De Ana, combines expansive stage scenery and atmospheric lighting to evoke the rugged world of the American frontier. Juraj Valčuha conducts the Teatro di San Carlo Orchestra and Chorus, with Emily Magee as Minnie, Roberto Aronica as Dick Johnson and Claudio Sgura as Jack Rance.

The RAI National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Juraj Valčuha, performs: Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Gloria Campaner on piano.

The Rai National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Juraj Valcuha, with Gloria Campaner at the piano, performs: Rachmaninov, Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 for piano and orchestra.

From the Toscanini Auditorium in Turin, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Juraj Valchua and featuring pianist Alexander Malofeev, performs works by Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff.

‘Cavalleria Rusticana nei Sassi’ is an immersive and participatory opera, set against the striking natural backdrop of the Sassi of Matera.

From the Rai Arturo Toscanini Auditorium, conductor Juraj Valčuha presents the Rai premiere in Turin of Jean Sibelius’s Symphonic Poem Op. 73, *Aallottaret* (The Oceanides), followed by the *Four Sea Interludes* from Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece *Peter Grimes*. In the second half of the programme, the mood shifts with two masterpieces of extreme expressive power: the Concert Suite from Béla Bartók’s one-act pantomime The Miraculous Mandarin and Maurice Ravel’s La valse, composed between 1919 and 1920, when Europe was attempting to emerge from the ruins of the Great War.

The 2022 Don Carlo at the Teatro di San Carlo, staged by Claus Guth, offers a contemporary, psychologically driven interpretation of Verdi's opera. Set in minimalist, stark environments, the production explores themes of power, betrayal, and inner conflict. The cast features Matthew Polenzani as Don Carlo and Ailyn Pérez as Elisabetta di Valois, both delivering compelling performances. Conducted by Juraj Valčuha, the production combines modern staging with the emotional depth of Verdi's score, providing a fresh perspective on the classic work.