At their concert, Jakub Hrůša and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House will present two seminal works of 20th-century modernism: Igor Stravinsky’s ballet music, The Rite of Spring, and Béla Bartók’s one-act opera, Bluebeard’s Castle. In the latter, two world stars, Christian Van Horn and Elīna Garanča, will perform for the Budapest audience. The American bass-baritone has sung the role of Bluebeard on numerous occasions, both in concert halls and on opera stages – most recently in a production by the Canadian Opera Company. In 2024, he performed it as Elīna Garanča’s partner at the Carnegie Hall in New York. The Latvian mezzo-soprano has risen to the top of the international opera world through her portrayals of iconic opera heroines: she has already played the roles of Carmen, Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) and Kundry (Parsifal). When she performed in Bartók’s opera at Carnegie Hall, reviewers highlighted the emotional intensity of her portrayal and the psychological depth of her interpretation. The conductor of the evening is the Czech Jakub Hrůša, one of the most successful and active conductors of his generation, who is currently Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of The Royal Opera, Covent Garden.