As fraternal rivalry ignites, the music unleashes all its splendid virtuosity. Mitridate, re di Ponto, Mozart’s first opera seria, already bears the stamp of the genius that would manifest so prodigiously in his later works. Composed in 1770 to an Italian libretto inspired by Racine’s eponymous play, the work depicts a dynastic drama in which two rival brothers and their domineering father vie for power and the hand of the same princess. All the while, Roman forces are preparing to storm the region today known as Crimea. The characters – their ambitions, their contradictions, their passions – are portrayed with an unsettling truth, especially given that the composer was only 14 years old.

Staging Eric Gobin
Musical direction Thibaut Lenaerts

Mitridate Stefan Sbonnik
Aspasia Gianna Cañete Gallo
Sifare Dennis Orellana
Farnace Pieter De Praetere
Ismene Dorine Mortelmans
Arbate Sonia Sheridan Jacquelin
Marzio Mathis Van Cleynenbreugel
​Actors Sina Noushmehr, Hamza Zairaf

With the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie

Pianists Lionel Bams, Noemi Biro, Arnaud Dos Santos
Staging assistant Charlie Cattrall
Language coach Italian Primo Lunghi
​Dramaturge Keith Tillotson
Set Frédéric Philippe
Costumes Eric Gobin
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Sung in Italian with surtitles in Dutch and French
Introductions in Dutch or French one hour before curtain up
Duration 3 hours with intermission

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