A few days before the announcement of the 2026–2027 season — which I’m really looking forward to, especially with a new director coming in after Aviel Cahn — I had the chance to attend the dress rehearsal of Madama Butterfly.

And honestly, I was excited.

First, because the Grand Théâtre is still performing at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, a stunning historic venue just a few steps away from the main house. It’s a special place, and it gives a very particular atmosphere to every performance.

But also because the casting looked really promising: Antonio Fogliani conducting, Corinne Winters as Butterfly, and Stephen Costello as Pinkerton. On paper, it already felt like a good night.

A staging that (mostly) works

Let’s start with the staging.

From the first images released, it looked beautiful, quite traditional — which, honestly, is refreshing at the Grand Théâtre, where in recent years you sometimes feel like you’re watching contemporary performance art rather than opera.

And overall? It worked.

Elegant, poetic, visually pleasing. Costumes were beautiful, the stage pictures often very strong.

Okay — slight confusion in the very first seconds: an explosion involving the child. Why? No idea. But fine… let’s move on.

Because what followed was actually very, very good.

Corinne Winters – simply outstanding

Corinne Winters is, without a doubt, one of the best Madama Butterfly today.

She has everything: the voice, the color, the fragility, the presence. She looks the part, she lives the role, and most importantly — she makes you believe every second of it.

Her performance builds beautifully, and vocally she is just stunning.

And that love duet? Honestly, one of the most beautiful I’ve heard live in at least 10–15 years. It brought me back to the time when when I listened to Marina Rebeka for the first time in this role!

Stephen Costello – a true Pinkerton

Opposite her, Stephen Costello was a very solid Pinkerton.

And actually — something hit me during the performance: Pinkerton is almost a secondary role. You see him at the beginning, he has his aria, the big duet… and then he disappears for a long time.

But Costello made the most of it. Strong presence, elegant singing, and a believable American officer on stage — which, in this case, makes sense.

A very pleasant surprise, especially since I hadn’t seen him live in quite some time #DonCarlo

A big discovery: Andrey Zhilikhovsky

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Sharpless.

I had never seen him live before — and wow. A beautiful voice, warm, expressive, and deeply human. The audience gave him a well-deserved ovation at the end.

Definitely someone to watch.

Strong supporting cast

Kai Rüütel-Pajula (Suzuki) was excellent — and rightly very applauded. Her role is crucial, and she brought both vocal richness and emotional depth. Her scenes with Butterfly were powerful, especially in moments of tension.

Mark Kurmanbayev (Bonzo) also stood out, even in a smaller role. A deep, impressive bass voice, strong stage presence — you can already feel that he’s ready for bigger parts. I really hope to see him take on larger roles soon.

…and then, that moment

Now, because we are at the Grand Théâtre de Genève… there had to be something.

Something that makes you go: why?

For me, it was during the Intermezzo.

It was a very important moment; at my uncle’s funeral, the intermezzo from Madama Butterfly was played. He was a passionate man who passed on my love for opera to me, so you can imagine that the 6 minutes and 10 seconds that make up the intermezzo are as important to me as a country’s anthem before a sporting event.

This is a very personal moment for me — it’s music I associate with something deeply emotional. And on stage, Corinne Winters was alone, under a beautiful light. Everything was perfect.

Until… a “solo” ballet started.

A dancer, topless, moving in a way that felt completely disconnected from the music, from the emotion, from everything.

And suddenly — the magic was gone.

Around me, people were sighing. Confused. Even annoyed. I overheard two young audience members (first time at the opera) asking: “Is this normal?”

And honestly… no, it’s not.

It felt unnecessary, out of place, and — more than anything — it broke one of the most intimate and powerful moments of the opera.

Some things don’t need to be reinvented. And sometimes, adding something actually takes everything away.

Final thoughts

Despite that moment, this is a Madama Butterfly you should absolutely see.

For the love duet alone.
For Corinne Winters, who is truly exceptional.
For the overall musical quality.

A big thank you once again to the Grand Théâtre de Genève for the invitation — and especially to Alice, who is always kind, welcoming, and incredibly professional.

I’m now really looking forward to discovering the 2026–2027 season.

And I’ll be back — no doubt about that.

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CAST

Cio-Cio-San – Corinne Winters
Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton – Stephen Costello
Sharpless – Andrey Zhilikhovsky
Suzuki – Kai Rüütel-Pajula
Goro – Denzil Delaere
Lo zio Bonzo – Mark Kurmanbayev
Kate Pinkerton – Charlotte Bozzi
Yamadori – Vladimir Kazakov

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Direction musicale – Antonino Fogliani
Mise en scène – Barbora Horáková
Scénographie – Wolfgang Menardi
Costumes – Eva-Maria Van Acker
Lumières – Felice Ross
Création vidéo – Diana Markosian
Chorégraphe – Andrea Tortosa Vidal
Collaboration artistique à la vidéo – Ruth Tromboukis
Direction des chœurs – Mark Biggins