The Atlanta Opera’s 2024-25 mainstage season continues with new production of Siegfried (April 26–May 4)
(March 2025) — The Atlanta Opera – “one of the most exciting opera companies in America” (Opera Wire) – continues its 2024-25 mainstage season with General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun’s new production of Siegfried, the third opera in Wagner’s monumental Ring cycle (April 26–May 4). Featuring Stefan Vinke, Greer Grimsley, and Lise Lindstrom, Siegfried is directed by Zvulun in collaboration with scenic and projections designer Erhard Rom and lighting designer Robert Wierzel, with costumes by European Opera Prize-winner Mattie Ullrich. The same team has supported each of Zvulun’s new productions in The Atlanta Opera’s groundbreaking Ring cycle, and for Siegfried they expand on their vision from the first two productions, creating a setting equally inspired by ancient Germanic folklore and today’s Marvel multiverse. The production will be filmed by The Atlanta Opera’s Film Studio, led by Felipe Barral, and available to livestream at atlantaopera.org.
Siegfried’s outstanding cast will be led by heldentenor Stefan Vinke as the title character. Since debuting in the role in 2006, he has become globally renowned as an interpreter of all Wagner’s great tenor roles, including multiple productions and roles at the Bayreuth Festival and Ring cycles at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Metropolitan Opera; Wiener Staatsoper; Deutsche Oper Berlin; Salzburg Festival; and many more. He is joined by bass-baritone Greer Grimsley, another world-renowned Wagnerian who made his company debut in the role of Wotan with TAO’s Das Rheingold two seasons ago and reprises the role in Siegfried. Brünnhilde is sung by Lise Lindstrom, about whose portrayal Australian Stage raved: “Lindstrom has been the world’s favourite Brünnhilde for the last four years, and now inhabits this character, both dramatically and musically, with such unremitting intensity that I can say that I have never seen such a great Brünnhilde.” Filipino tenor Rodell Rosel sings the role of Mime; Zachary Nelsoncontinues the role of Alberich, in which he debuted two seasons ago in TAO’s Das Rheingold; Hungarian-Romanian bass Alexander Köpeczi sings Fafner; Lindsay Ammann sings Erda, a role she also undertook in Francesca Zambello’s Washington National Opera production; and young Venezuelan coloratura soprano Amber Norelai sings the Forest Bird. Many of these singers are making debuts with The Atlanta Opera with this production, including Stefan Vinke, Lise Lindstrom, Rodell Rosel, Lindsay Ammann, and Amber Norelai, while for Alexander Köpeczi it will be not only his company debut but his U.S. debut as well.
An additional star of this production of Siegfried is the dragon, the construction of which is a collaboration with the Center for Puppetry Arts with award-winning designer Jason Hines – who has designed and built puppets for Alton Brown’s documentary Good Eats: Reloaded and Adult Swim – as the architect. Mexican-born Music Director of the Detroit Opera Roberto Kalb guest conducts the production, after making a lauded company debut last season leading TAO’s Rigoletto. After leading the St. Louis Symphony in a production of Awakenings with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Today declared that “Roberto Kalb exerted complete mastery in his clear and concise conducting, which inspired superior music-making from his cast and orchestra.”
Zvulun comments:
“Siegfried is referred to as the ‘scherzo’ of the Ring cycle. It glows with energy and optimism that we all need right now. Our adventure continues as we bring to Atlanta some of the leading Wagnerian singers of our time: Stefan Vinke, Greer Grimsley, Lise Lindstrom and Alexander Köpeczi led by maestro Roberto Kalb. Designers Erhard Rom, Mattie Ullrich and Robert Wierzel return to Atlanta and are joined by puppet master Jason Hines from Atlanta’s own Center for Puppetry Arts as they create our showstopping dragon. The penultimate installment of the Ring is going to be an unforgettable performance.”
Completion of the Ring cycle in 2025–26
The Atlanta Opera’s presentation of Wagner’s Ring cycle reaches its magnificent conclusion in the coming season with Tomer Zvulun’s new production of Twilight of the Gods (“Götterdämmerung”), closing the cycle with a vision of the downfall of the old gods, the burning of Valhalla, and an implicit promise of the renewal of the world (May 30–June 7, 2026). Stefan Vinke and Lise Lindstrom return to lead the cast, along with Atlanta Opera favorite Morris Robinson – returning to the company after his turn as Banquo in last season’s Macbeth – in the role of the villainous Hagen. Conducting the production will once again be Detroit Opera Music Director Roberto Kalb.
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 Opera America’s designated “Tier One” status 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.
Atlanta Opera: Siegfried
All performances take place in the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
April 26, 29; May 2, 4m
Richard Wagner: Siegfried
In German with English supertitles
Conductor: Roberto Kalb
Director: Tomer Zvulun
Set and projection design: Erhard Rom
Lighting design: Robert Wierzel
Costume design: Mattie Ullrich
Dragon architect: Jason Hines
Siegfried: Stefan Vinke*
Wotan: Greer Grimsley
Brünnhilde: Lise Lindstrom*
Mime: Rodell Rosel*
Alberich: Zachary Nelson
Erda: Lindsay Ammann*
Fafner: Alexander Köpeczi**
Forest Bird: Amber Norelai*
*The Atlanta Opera debut
**U.S. debut