The Spanish court, where conflicts of love and power rage like a storm, is brought vividly to the stage. Set against the destinies of figures yearning for freedom and love, Verdi’s signature grand choruses and arias—at once powerful and deeply lyrical—combine to create one of the most dramatic operas in his repertoire. This production presents the original French version, preserving the monumental scale of Verdi’s most ambitious work and fully realizing its grandeur as a true grand opera. Returning to the podium is conductor Valerio Galli, who first collaborated with the KNO in 2022 with Verdi’s Attila. Anticipation is high for how he will shape the distinctive energy and dramatic drive that define Verdi’s music. The production is directed by veteran director Yannis Kokkos, now in his eighties, a towering figure in the operatic world. Renowned for landmark productions such as the Greek premiere of Tristan und Isolde and major works including Nabucco and Turandot, he has captivated opera audiences on the world’s leading stages.​

Don Carlo, Prince of Spain, and Elisabeth, Princess of France, are promised in marriage as part of a peace treaty between their nations. Drawn to each other from their very first meeting, their hopes are shattered when a revised treaty instead binds Elisabeth to Don Carlo’s father, King Philip II. Carlo’s close friend Rodrigo dreams of a society founded on freedom and human dignity and fights for the independence of Flanders under Spanish rule. Carlo joins his cause and defies his father, but is ultimately arrested. Granted the king’s pardon, Carlo is sent away and bids a final farewell to Elisabeth. Witnessing this, Philip is seized by rage and orders his son to be tried by the Inquisition. At the moment of execution, the voice of the late king is heard, and Don Carlo escapes, saved from death.