Chicago Opera Theater will kick off its 2024-25 Season with the North American premiere of “Leonora.”

This Italian opera, composed by Ferdinando Paër with a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa and Giacomo Cinti, shares its storyline with Beethoven’s later opera “Fidelio.” Musicologists suggest that Beethoven drew inspiration from Paër’s work while creating his own opera.

Dame Jane Glover will conduct the performance, featuring tenor Edgardo Rocha in his debut with Chicago Opera Theater, soprano Vanessa Becerra as Leonora, soprano Keely Futterer as Marcellina, baritone Joo Won Kang as Rocco, tenor Matthew Pearce as Don Pizzarro, tenor Kameron Alston as Don Fernando, and bass-baritone Alex Soare as Giachino.

Lawrence Edelson, the General Director of Edlis Neeson, will make his directorial debut in Chicago with this production.

Edelson commented, “When I joined COT, Paër’s ‘Leonora’ was one of the first operas I considered staging. With 2020 marking Beethoven’s 250th Anniversary, there was a resurgence of interest in Paër’s opera during global celebrations. Originally premiered in 1804, ‘Leonora’ was a prominent piece across Europe in the early 19th century. However, as Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ gained prominence in the 1820s, Paër’s opera fell into obscurity for over a century, with only occasional performances of heavily edited versions. The first critical edition of ‘Leonora’ was prepared for Austrian performances in 2020, followed by a recording of those concerts. The new recording impressed me greatly with its musical creativity, both in orchestration and vocal performance, and the parallels between Paër’s and Beethoven’s interpretations of the story are captivating. With Lyric Opera planning a revival of ‘Fidelio’ this fall, it was clear that we needed to bring ‘Leonora’ to the stage. I am excited to work with Dame Jane Glover and an exceptional cast to present ‘Leonora,’ offering audiences an evening of outstanding singing and a fresh take on a classic story that remains as pertinent today as when it first premiered.”

“Leonora” will be performed from October 1 to October 6 at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building.