IZMIR, Türkiye
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana was performed at the Ancient Theatre of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, as part of the 9th International Ephesus Opera and Ballet Festival in western Türkiye.
The open-air performance on Tuesday evening drew around 2,000 spectators in the ancient city, near the modern town of Selcuk in Izmir province.
The festival, run by Türkiye’s State Opera and Ballet Directorate, continues through July 8 and brings opera and ballet productions to the historic venue.
Carmina Burana, a dramatic stage cantata composed in 1936 by German composer Carl Orff, is based on a collection of medieval Latin and German poems. The work is widely known for its powerful choral sections, particularly “O Fortuna,” and is performed by large orchestral and vocal ensembles.
The production was staged by the Izmir State Opera and Ballet, featuring its orchestra, chorus, soloists and children’s choir.
The performance was conducted by Vladimir Lungu, with chorus direction by Orhan Oner Ozcan and children’s choir conducted by Basar Unal.
Solo performances were given by soprano Ayse Senogul, tenor Burak Dabakoglu and baritone Nejad Begde.
Lighting design was by Emre Yurekli, while Rusen Muzaffer served as concertmaster.
Carmina Burana will be performed again at the Ephesus Ancient Theatre on July 2.
As part of the festival program, the Ankara State Opera and Ballet will stage the ballet “Zorba” on July 4-5.
The festival will conclude Wednesday with Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Tosca.”
Italian tenor Ivan Magri will perform as guest soloist on the final night.
