Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados leads a company premiere directed by Deborah Colker

(Los Angeles) March 26, 2025 — From April 26 through May 18, LA Opera will present the company premiere of Ainadamar, led by Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados. With a dramatic, flamenco-inspired score by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov and a poignant libretto by David Henry Hwang, the opera recounts the fateful final days of poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, a man whose pen became his downfall during the Spanish Civil War. The opera is staged by director Deborah Colker in a production that has recently won acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera, Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera and Detroit Opera.

"Ainadamar is an astonishing work that reminds us of the critical role that artists play in defining and defending our humanity," said Christopher Koelsch. "The opera's atmospheric sound world melds the classical operatic tradition with Spanish music and folk styling, an utterly beguiling combination that works brilliantly. I am so eager for our audiences to experience this modern-day masterpiece, especially with the truly brilliant cast we have assembled under the baton of Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados."

About Ainadamar
Actress Margarita Xirgu has spent half her career in exile, mourning Federico García Lorca, the dear friend whom she couldn’t convince to flee Franco’s reign of terror. Lorca was on the verge of writing his way into a new Golden Age in Spain. But dictators have no use for poets; Lorca was executed at a natural spring known as "Aynadamar," an Arabic name that means "fountain of tears."

Since its 2003 world premiere, Ainadamar has become one of the most frequently performed operas of the 21st century, seen throughout Europe, North America and South America. Although this season's presentation at LA Opera marks the company premiere of the work, it has previously been experienced by local audiences through performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2004, Long Beach Opera in 2012 and USC Thornton Opera in 2016.

Meet the Cast
Ana María Martínez (currently appearing as Despina in LAO's Così fan tutte) returns to take center stage as Lorca’s muse, Margarita Xirgu. Since her 1997 LA Opera debut as Mimì in La Bohème, she has sung more leading roles than any other soprano in the company's history; Xirgu will be her 12th leading role in Los Angeles. She has recently performed Tosca with Pittsburgh Opera, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with the Metropolitan Opera and Florencia en el Amazonas with Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack appeared with LA Opera last season as Frida Kahlo in Gabriela Lena Frank's The Last Dream of Frida and Diego. She returns as Lorca, a role she performed earlier this season at the Metropolitan Opera. Other appearances this season include Missy Mazzoli's The Listeners with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia with Rome's Teatro dell'Opera.

Soprano Vanessa Becerra, a former member of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, returns as Nuria, her first leading role with the company. Her appearances this season include the title role in Ferdinando Paër's Leonora with Chicago Opera Theater, Violetta in La Traviata with Berkshire Opera Festival and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with the Sacramento Philharmonic.

Renowned flamenco singer Alfredo Tejada, a native of Malaga, Spain, will make his LA Opera debut as vigilante Ramón Ruiz Alonso, a role he has previously performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Welsh National Opera, Detroit Opera, Scottish Opera, the Cēsis Art Festival, Opera Philadelphia and in São Paulo, Oviedo and Granada.

The cast also includes several members of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program: tenor Nathan Bowles as the Bullfighter, baritone Hyungjin Son as the Teacher, bass Vinícius Costa as José Tripaldi, and Gabrielle Turgeon as the soprano Voice of the Fountain. An alumna of the program, mezzo-soprano Abi Levis, returns as the alto Voice of the Fountain.

The Creative Team
The production, directed and choreographed by Deborah Colker, features sets and costumes designed by Jon Bausor and lighting by Paul Keogan. Tal Rosner is the projection designer and Mark Grey is the sound designer. The flamenco choreography is by Antonio Najarro. Jeremy Frank is the chorus director and the intimacy director is Sara E. Widzer.

Click here to download production photos and artist headshots.

Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be six performances of Ainadamar presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012:

• Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 7:30pm
• Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 2pm
• Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 7:30pm
• Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 2pm

Special Events
After the May 4 matinee, everyone is invited to enjoy music, food and fun on the Music Center's Jerry Moss Plaza for a Celebración de las Artes hosted by LA Opera Connects and Hispanics for LA Opera.

The May 7 performance will mark Pride Night, with a special post-performance gathering for attendees. For details, click here.

Tickets
Tickets begin at $24.50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.

More information about the production is available at LAOpera.org/Ainadamar.

Ainadamar is sung in Spanish with both English and Spanish supertitles projected above the stage.

About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

Production made possible by generous support from
Nanette and Keith Leonard
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
Bernard A. and Lenore S. Greenberg Opera Fund
A generous anonymous donor

Additional support provided by
De Marchena-Huyke Foundation
A consortium of generous donors to LA Opera’s Contemporary Opera Initiative, chaired by Barry and Nancy Sanders.

With special appreciation to
Régina and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten.

Special gifts from the Ainadamar Consortium.

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by Terri and Jerry Kohl

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.