The Atlanta Opera completes the company’s first Ring cycle with a new production of Twilight of the Gods (May 30 – June 7)

(May 2026) — The Atlanta Opera – “a powerhouse in the Atlanta arts scene” (ArtsATL) and “one of the most exciting opera companies in America” (OperaWire) – will close the 2025–26 season with Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun’s new production of Wagner’s Twilight of the Gods (“Götterdämmerung”), the fourth and final opera in The Atlanta Opera’s Ring cycle, featuring Stefan Vinke, Lise Lindstrom, and David Leigh (May 30–June 7). The production will be livestreamed and filmed for release by The Atlanta Opera Film Studio, on whose platform a host of opera films have recently been made available, including the previous three operas in the Ring cycle (see below for more details).

Twilight of the Gods (Götterdämmerung) (May 30–June 7)

Following productions of Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, and Siegfried in The Atlanta Opera’s Ring cycle over the past three seasons, Twilight of the Gods (“Götterdämmerung”) closes the cycle during the 150th anniversary year of the Ring cycle’s premiere. It also represents other milestones: the first time in history the opera has been presented in Atlanta, and the completion of the first new American Ring production since the pandemic. Zvulun elaborates:

“This is the moment we have been building toward for four seasons, and in truth, the dream began for me and my team on my very first day at The Atlanta Opera 13 years ago. Bringing the Ring cycle to Atlanta has required extraordinary determination, imagination, and collective will. With Twilight of the Gods, we complete the first fully staged Ring cycle in the history of the South and the first new staging of the Ring cycle in America to reach completion since the pandemic began. At a time when producing opera at the highest level has become more difficult than ever, this milestone affirms Atlanta’s emergence as a national leader in creating and sustaining world-class art.”

With a superb cast starring “impassioned” (Parterre Box) heldentenor Stefan Vinke, “a seasoned Wagnerian” (The Seattle Times) as Siegfried, this new Zvulun production also features the “deeply sympathetic, vocally magnificent Brünnhilde” (Classical Voice North America) of Lise Lindstrom. The villainous Hagen will be portrayed by David Leigh, “a bass of unusual agility, depth and darkness” (Opera News), replacing Morris Robinson, who had to withdraw from the production. Baritone Aleksey Bogdanov sings Alberich, and bass-baritone Le Bu and soprano Sylvia D’Eramo sing the roles of Gunther and Gutrune. On the podium will be Detroit Opera’s music director, Roberto Kalb.

Atlanta Opera Film Studio

Packed with films, documentaries, behind-the-scenes videos, livestream events, full concerts and complete series, The Atlanta Opera Film Studio was founded by Tomer Zvulun and filmmaker Felipe Barral to increase the accessibility of operas in a unique and cinematic style. Twilight of the Gods will be presented online for livestream viewing on the Friday evening performance. The livestreams will then be available for replay here, as are all mainstage productions from previous seasons. Viewing most content requires only an email registration; to view the cinematic operas produced at The Atlanta Opera – which will be available for Twilight of the Gods at a later date – a $25 annual subscription is required.

About The Atlanta Opera

Hailed by The New York Times for “Bringing Opera Back from the Brink,” The Atlanta Opera’s mission is to break the boundaries of opera to create exceptional experiences for audiences everywhere. Founded in 1979, the company has grown to achieve “Tier One” status (Opera America) in 2024 and works with world-renowned singers, conductors, directors and designers who seek to enhance the art form. Under the leadership of internationally recognized stage director and Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, The Atlanta Opera expanded from three to four mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and launched the acclaimed “Discoveries” event series, as well as the innovative 96-Hour Opera Project. In recent years, the company has been named among the “Best of” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was nominated in 2016 and 2023 for International Opera Awards. It also received ArtsATL’s 2019 Luminary Award for Community Engagement in recognition of its successful Veterans Program in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, while the 2023 Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities recognized the excellence of the 96-Hour Opera Project. In addition, The Atlanta Opera was featured in a 2018 Harvard Business School case study about successful organizational growth, and Zvulun presented a TEDx Talk at Emory University titled “The Ambidextrous Opera Company, or Opera in the Age of iPhones.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Atlanta Opera was one of the only companies in the world to create a full, alternative season, consisting of no fewer than 40 live performances in two different outdoor venues, including a revolutionary custom-designed circus tent. The critically acclaimed productions and concerts were streamed in HD on the newly created “Atlanta Opera Film Studio” streaming platform, which continues to allow The Atlanta Opera to reach a global audience. National media coverage of the “pandemic season” included features in The Wall Street Journal and on PBS NewsHour. Reflecting on the company’s achievements over the past decade, Musical America declared, “The Atlanta Opera has arrived.” For more information, visit atlantaopera.org.

The Atlanta Opera’s final 2025-26 spring production

All performances take place in the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

May 30, June 2, 5, 7 (m), 2026
WAGNER: Twilight of the Gods
Siegfried: Stefan Vinke
Brunnhilde: Lise Lindstrom
Gunther: Le Bu
Gutrune: Sylvia D’Eramo
Hagen: David Leigh
Alberich: Aleksey Bogdanov
Roberto Kalb, conductor
Tomer Zvulun, director