A young composer devastated by personal tragedy, a libretto that happened to fall open at the legendary words “Va, pensiero”, and a premiere that would change the course of opera history forever. At the age of just 28, Giuseppe Verdi was on the verge of abandoning his musical career following the loss of his family and a professional failure. It was at this turning point that he composed his first true masterpiece. Nabucco premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1842, and its overwhelming success propelled Verdi to fame, establishing the work as one of the greatest symbols of Italian opera.
On 13 November 2026 at 7:00 p.m., the MÁV Symphony Orchestra invites audiences to experience Verdi’s dramatic four-act opera in a special concert performance at the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy, with Hungarian surtitles. The evening will be conducted by Gergely Kesselyák, who has assembled an outstanding cast of opera singers alongside the Hungarian National Choir to bring this monumental work to life.
Meet the characters who bring the turbulent world of Babylon and Judea to life:
Nabucco – Levente Molnár: The proud, power-hungry King of Babylon, who proclaims himself a god and loses his sanity, only to find redemption and forgiveness through suffering.
Abigaille – Eszter Sümegi: Nabucco’s supposed eldest daughter, a ruthless and vengeful woman willing to do anything to seize power.
Zaccaria – Géza Gábor: The wise and unwavering high priest of the Hebrews, who serves as the spiritual guide and leader of his people during their captivity.
Ismaele – Attila Fekete: The nephew of the King of Jerusalem, who chooses love despite being caught in a web of political conflict.
Fenena – Erika Gál: Nabucco’s true daughter, who defies her father’s wishes, converts to Judaism and risks her life for her love of Ismaele.
High Priest of Baal – István Gáspár: The stern and scheming religious leader of the Babylonian idol worshippers.
Abdallo – Donát Varga: Nabucco’s loyal Babylonian officer.
Anna – Ágnes Kristófi: Zaccaria’s sister.
The opera’s monumental choral scenes will be performed by the Hungarian National Choir, under the direction of chorus master Csaba Somos.
Alongside the outstanding choir, distinguished guest soloists and the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, the exceptional artistic quality of the performance is ensured by Gergely Kesselyák, recipient of the Liszt Ferenc Prize and the title of Meritorious Artist. As Chief Conductor of the Pannon Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, he has enriched the orchestra’s repertoire in recent years with concert performances of complete operas.
Their performance of Puccini’s Tosca, conducted by Kesselyák, received the Fidelio Award for Best Concert Opera Performance of 2024.
The performance of Nabucco on 13 November has been sold out for several weeks.
