Baritone Steponas Zonys announces an exciting 2026/2027 international opera season

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The 2026/2027 season promises to be one of the most significant in the artistic career of Lithuanian baritone Steponas Zonys, bringing important role debuts, international engagements, and collaborations with some of today's most distinguished conductors, stage directors, and opera artists.

The season will open in September 2026 with the prestigious Vana Tallinn Gala at the Estonian National Opera, conducted by the theatre's Artistic Director Arvo Volmer.
One of the major highlights of the season will be Steponas Zonys' return to the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre to perform the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni. The production will be conducted by Valentin Egel and staged by internationally acclaimed director John Fulljames, marking another important milestone in the young baritone's repertoire.

During the season, he will also return twice to the stage of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre as Demetrius in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream under the musical direction of Martynas Stakionis and in the production by renowned Lithuanian stage director Gintaras Varnas.

Another important engagement of the season will see Steponas Zonys perform the role of Marcello in Puccini's La Bohème in Vilnius, sharing the stage with internationally acclaimed Lithuanian opera stars Asmik Grigorian and Edgaras Montvidas. The performances will be presented in the acclaimed production by stage director Dalia Ibelhauptaitė, created in close collaboration with Maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius, whose interpretation has become one of the landmark productions of Lithuanian opera.

In February 2027, Steponas Zonys is scheduled to make his debut at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, performing the role of Valentin in Gounod's Faust. The production will offer the opportunity to collaborate with internationally renowned conductor Dan Ettinger and visionary stage director Stefano Poda, representing an important step in the baritone's growing international career.

The season will also feature an anticipated role debut as Lescaut in Massenet's Manon, under the baton of Martynas Stakionis in a production by acclaimed French stage director Vincent Boussard.

Steponas Zonys will further return to Amilcare Ponchielli's I Lituani, reprising the role of Arnoldo in the production by legendary Argentine stage director Hugo de Ana, conducted by Ričardas Šumila.

The 2026/2027 season will conclude with one of the most celebrated productions in today's operatic repertoire - Anthony Minghella's iconic staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, where Steponas Zonys will appear as Sharpless under the conductor Marcello Mottadelli.

With a repertoire spanning Mozart, Britten, Puccini, Gounod, Massenet and Ponchielli, the upcoming season reflects the remarkable artistic development of Steponas Zonys and further strengthens his presence on both Lithuanian and international opera stages. It promises a year of artistic growth, prestigious collaborations, and memorable performances before audiences at home and abroad.

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