The Dijon Opera continues to build on its remarkable momentum under the leadership of Antonella Zedda, who took up the role of General and Artistic Director in October 2025. Her vision, Le Cœur battant (“The Beating Heart”), combines artistic excellence with accessibility and civic engagement—affirming the role of the Opera as a vital cultural institution at the heart of Dijon.
Welcoming the most distinguished artists, nurturing emerging talent, strengthening ties and forging new connections with cultural partners across the region, giving children and adults alike the opportunity to discover the Opera for the very first time, and bringing the magic of live performance to those who may be far removed from it: these are the promises at the heart of a new season—rich, generous, and open to all, with something for everyone to discover and enjoy.
The results speak for themselves : 71,400 spectators during the 2024–25 season, including a record 4,700 subscribers
The programme’s quality and diversity—from circus and dance to symphonic and operatic concerts and recitals—are key to its strong public appeal. Younger audiences are a particular focus, with performances offered during school holidays and dedicated opportunities for school groups throughout the year. No one is too young – or too old – to experience the transformative power of music and the arts. Fostering that connection lies at the heart of the Opera’s mission of public service.
I am delighted to see the Dijon Opera’s growing success and its increasingly prominent role on the cultural landscape. Designated a Théâtre lyrique d’intérêt national since 2017, it reaches audiences well beyond Dijon and the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, contributing to the cultural influence and visibility of Dijon and its metropolitan area, both nationally and across Europe.
Nathalie Koenders
Mayor of Dijon
First Vice President of Dijon Métropole
An invitation to adventure
At a time when our society is facing an existential crisis, as Europe turns once again toward investment in defence, and as the risk of war becomes an accepted part of everyday life, it is more important than ever to reaffirm the place of culture and the vital role of artists.
Rays of light in dark times, beacons to guide us forward, cultural spaces like our Opera give us a place to pause and replenish, to make room for our emotions, discover new worlds, question who we are, understand others, share our dreams, and reflect together on the future we want to build.
Programming can no longer be an act of self-interest; it must, on the contrary, be an act of generosity. The Opera must be a living place, open to everyone—a dynamic space for creation, production, and sharing.
It is therefore with great pleasure that I present this rich and eclectic season of opera and multidisciplinary performance. Although it is the first season to bear my signature, it is, above all, a collaborative endeavour—the result of the commitment and hard work of every team at the Opera.
This brochure is an invitation to travel, alongside the partners and artists who will join us throughout the season. Together, they will introduce us not only to magnificent works, but also to their own unique artistic worlds.
Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola, conducted by rising star Nil Venditti, opens the season. Inspired by the novels of Lewis Carroll, Mirabelle Ordinaire’s production takes us through the looking glass on a poetic journey exploring the interplay between identity and appearance.
The journey continues to Greece with director Myriam Marzouki and Joseph Bastian, Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne, in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, a work that explores the artist’s place in society and the composer’s freedom to create.
From Naxos we next head to Venice with Francesco Gasparini’s wonderfully comic L’Avare, in a production by Théophile Gasselin and under the passionate musical direction of Vincent Dumestre.
Our voyage takes a dramatic turn with The Carmen Case, as Alexandra Lacroix offers a bold contemporary reimagining of Bizet’s masterpiece. Set in a courtroom during a criminal trial before a jury, the production brings Bizet’s arias into dialogue with music by Diana Soh, inviting us to revisit Carmen’s fate from a new perspective.
From the courtroom to Mount Olympus, the journey continues with Leonardo García-Alarcón and Francesco Cavalli’s Ercole amante. Through Raphaëlle Boitel’s strikingly contemporary lens, singers, dancers, and circus artists inhabit a world in perpetual motion—a reflection of our lives and the societies in which we live.
A vital part of the company and a unique vocal ensemble, the Dijon Opera Choir will be a constant presence throughout the season, both at the Auditorium and beyond. They will appear in a wide range of formats, from staged and concert performances of opera to orchestral concerts, a cappella programmes, and works for double choir.
The programme will be enriched by concerts, dance, circus, film concerts, and a host of other offerings for young audiences, all brought to life through the “magical realism” of Marine Lanier’s photography.
A vibrant, eclectic, colourful and magical season—we invite you to share it with us!
Antonella Zedda
General and Artistic Director