Željko Lučić Starred as Guest Performer in Verdi’s “La Traviata”

One of the world's most renowned baritones, Željko Lučić, appeared as a guest performer in the role of Georges Germont in Verdi's opera "La Traviata", which was performed on the Main Stage on April 9 conducted by Dejan Savić.

It was his first performance at the National Theatre in Belgrade after a break of more than a decade.

Lučić has been building a very successful career abroad for years, performing in the most prestigious opera houses in the world, such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Royal Opera House in London, San Francisco Opera, l’Opéra National de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper.

His numerous engagements at the Metropolitan Opera include performing the title roles in Macbeth, Nabucco and Rigoletto, as well as the roles of Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Amonasro in Aida, Georges Germont in La Traviata, Count di Luna in Il Trovatore, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Jochanaan in Salomé and Scarpia in Tosca.

In "La Traviata", a demanding opera of great dramatic power, young soloists, doctoral students at the Faculty of Music Arts - Vesna Đurković (Violetta Valéry) and Stevan Karanac (Alfredo Germont) also performed as guests.

The roles were also played by Ljubica Vraneš (Flora Bervoix), Tatjana Mitić (Annina), Mihailo Šljivić (Dottore Grenvil / Marchese d'Obigny), Miroslav Markovski (Barone Douphol), Slobodan Živković (Gastone), Siniša Radin (Giuseppe) and Predrag Gligorić (Commissioner).

The Orchestra and Choir of the National Theatre in Belgrade participated in the production.

Borislav Popović’s direction of this opera from 1991 has been now renewed by Ivana Dragutinović Maričić.

The set design was created by Boris Maksimović, the costumes were designed by Božana Jovanović, and the choreography was done by Vladimir Logunov.

Before the start of the show, an exhibition of photographs was opened at the Main Stage stalls foyer on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first performance of "La Traviata" at the National Theatre in Belgrade (exhibition authors are Dragan Stevović and Dragica Gaćeša).