An Evening Under the Stars: Piotr Beczała at the Vienna State Opera Season Opening

On 6 September 2026, the Wiener Staatsoper opened its 2026/27 season with the second edition of its “Opern Air” gala concert – a free open-air event held in Vienna’s Burggarten. Some 10,000 people attended in person, with thousands more following the live broadcast on the Rathausplatz screen and on ORF III. The evening was conducted by Marco Armiliato, who stepped in at short notice following the withdrawal of the originally announced conductor Axel Kober.

Piotr Beczała was performing a programme that spanned Andrea Chénier, Lohengrin and Puccini’s “Nessun dorma” – a selection that reflected the full breadth of his current repertoire. His duet with Asmik Grigorian, “Vogliatemi bene” from Madama Butterfly, was among the most warmly received moments of the night. The gala also featured Grigorian, Juan Diego Flórez and Ludovic Tézier, and served simultaneously as a preview of the season ahead, with highlights from planned new productions and revivals across the coming months.

The event was co-hosted by ORF III presenter Barbara Rett and Staatsoper director Bogdan Roščić, and broadcast in a delayed transmission on ORF III, remaining available on ORF ON for three months following the concert.

Reviews:

“Vocally more present from the very start was Piotr Beczała, who this year will sing his first Parsifal. Nuanced and imposing in ‘Un dì all’azzurro spazio’ from Andrea Chénier, he went on to deliver Wagner’s Grail Narrative from Lohengrin before finishing with Puccini’s ‘Nessun dorma’ — converted with the confidence of an operatic penalty kick.” – der Standard

“Piotr Beczała ignited storms of applause with the aria ‘Un dì all’azzurro spazio’ from Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, and later with the Grail Narrative from Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin. Rightly so — for one rarely hears the story of the Dove delivered with such fervour and mystery. Grigorian and Beczała also thrilled the audience with the duet from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. (…) In the programme, charmingly hosted by Barbara Rett and the director, ‘Nessun dorma’ from Puccini’s Turandot could not be absent — especially with Beczała on stage.” – Kurier.at

“In this concert Piotr Beczała sang an aria and duet by Puccini and other arias by Giordano and Wagner. This was an impressive breadth of composers for any singer and Beczała continues to add new roles and makes his debut as Parsifal in Vienna next April before singing it soon thereafter at The Met. He will then be 60 but Beczała goes a long way to show age is just a number because he is a relaxed, open-faced, communicative singer in whatever he is singing whether it is Giordano’s stirring ‘Un dì all’azzurro spazio’ (Andrea Chénier) or Wagner’s revelatory and otherworldly Lohengrin Narration (‘In fernem Land’). Both of these benefited from Beczała’s clear diction, refined phrasing and luminous singing. And that there is an old-fashioned quality to his singing could be heard in his resplendent — and Pavarotti-like — concluding ‘Nessun dorma’. Both Beczała and Grigorian were at their very best in the passionate Act I duet from Madama Butterfly (‘Vogliatemi bene’) as the doomed heroine succumbs to Pinkerton’s desires. I cannot remember hearing this better sung.” – Seenandheard-international.com

Photo: Marcel Urlaub, Katharina Schiffl