Moscow to host Latvian national opera guest tour

For the first time after a 20-year interval, the Bolshoi will stage a guest tour of the Latvian national opera, Bolshoi general director Anatoly Iksanov said on Friday.

Performers from Riga will play on the Boshoi's main and new scenes. In the program is Verdi's Aida staged by producer Mara Kimele and well-known Latvian stage designer Ilmars Blumbergs.

The Latvians will also perform Handel's opera Alcina staged by producer Krestina Vuss, stage designer Andris Freibergs and costume designer Kristina Pasternak.

Director of the Latvian national opera Andrei Jagars said he hopes "this guest tour will be a step towards rebuilding the cultural bridge between Latvia and Russia." Jagars also called his opera's performance at Bolshoi "a serious proof for the Latvian national opera." The Latvian guest tour will be held in Moscow on May 27 through 31 as part of interstate cultural exchange between the two countries.