On August 2, the opera performance The Tragedy of Carmen will be presented at the Lerici Music Festival, staged by acclaimed Russian director Dmitry Krymov. The production is based on Peter Brook’s radical 1981 adaptation of Georges Bizet’s beloved opera, which distills the original into an intense, intimate chamber piece with just four performers and stripped-down theatrical elements.
This performance is presented in concert form, uniquely shaped to fit the open-air medieval setting of Lerici, under the night sky. As Krymov explains:
“The festival itself offered me the concert version of Carmen. The open medieval space and the night sky—these were the conditions of the game. I came up with my own version… quite strange and risky. To my delight, the management of the Lerici Music Festival supported it. But to make it happen, we needed help from the Tsinandali Music Festival and its director David Sakvarelidze, who provided the technical support to realize this strange, but as it turned out, very labor-intensive version. I hope we can bring the whole project to the desired effect.”
Importantly, this project could not have come to life without the vision and support of Georgian businessman George Ramishvili, founder of the Tsinandali Festival and the hospitality brand Silk Hospitality. A passionate patron of the arts, Ramishvili, together with his close friends and longtime collaborators Igor and Natasha Tsukanova, decided to back this ambitious endeavor. Their commitment to artistic innovation and international collaboration has been instrumental in bringing this production to the stage.
The Tragedy of Carmen will not only premiere at Lerici but also become a highlight of the Tsinandali Festival’s 2026 season. Georgian audiences will have the unique opportunity to experience this special production on September 12, 2026, at the Tsinandali Amphitheatre, nestled in the heart of Georgia’s Kakheti region.
Founded in 2017 by conductor Gianluca Marcianò, the Lerici Music Festival promotes classical music and the cultural identity of Lerici, the “Pearl of the Gulf of Poets.” Now in its 9th edition, the festival runs from July 24 to August 4, featuring a wide array of concerts and musical events. Krymov’s Carmen promises to be one of its most daring and talked-about moments.
