From June 26 to July 1, 2026, Teatro La Fenice presents the Italian premiere of Venere e Adone by Salvatore Sciarrino—a visionary opera about desire, myth, and disintegration. First performed in 2023 at the Staatsoper Hamburg, this production is directed by Georges Delnon and conducted by Kent Nagano.
Sciarrino, one of Italy’s most distinctive contemporary composers, crafts a sonic universe that defies operatic convention. In Venere e Adone, he transforms the myth of Venus and Adonis into an otherworldly meditation on beauty, violence, and mortality. The score unfolds in whispers and fractures, evoking breath, silence, and tension more than melody.
Featuring Layla Claire as Venere, Randall Scotting as Adone, and Evan Hughes as Il Mostro, alongside the La Fenice Orchestra, the performance becomes a sonic ritual—unfolding in subtle gestures, acoustic illusions, and poetic disintegration.
This is not opera in the traditional sense. Instead, it is a philosophical and emotional experience where sound becomes space, and myth collapses into abstract lament. Delnon’s staging amplifies this atmosphere of fragility and estrangement with stark visuals and haunting movement.
Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone is a rare event: minimalist yet emotionally charged, deeply modern yet rooted in ancient themes. It invites the listener into an intimate realm of perception and introspection.
With Italian and English surtitles.
Teatro La Fenice
Story of Venere e Adone by Salvatore Sciarrino
Venere e Adone reimagines the myth of Venus and Adonis not as a romantic tale but as an abstract meditation on desire, jealousy, and death. Sciarrino’s opera is built on whispers, tension, and mythic fragmentation.
Amore observes as Venus falls for the mortal Adonis. Yet divine forces are disturbed: Mars rages in jealousy, Vulcan smolders with betrayal, and Fame—split between soprano and baritone—mutters and multiplies the tale. A monstrous force emerges, embodying pure destruction.
Adonis is mortally wounded. Venus is left suspended in grief. There is no catharsis—only the myth’s slow disintegration, like a shipwreck of meaning.
Cast and Creative Team of Venere e Adone
La Fenice Orchestra
Staging Hamburgische Staatsoper
Italian premiere
World premiere on 28 May 2023 at the Hamburg State Opera
Libretto by Fabio Casadei Turroni
Teatro la Fenice New Production
Teatro la Fenice Orchestra and Chorus
Conductor • Kent Nagano
Director • Georges Delnon
Venere • Layla Claire
Adone • Randall Scotting
Mostro • Evan Hughes
Vulcano • Cody Quattlebaum
Marte • Matthias Klink
Amore • Kady Evanyshyn
La Fama• Vera Talerko
La Fama • Nicholas Mogg
The roles are currently being defined and will be announced for publication as soon as possible
Booking Process
Music trip to Venice for 3 days / 2 nights with premium tickets for the opera “Venere e Adone”. The highlight is a visit to the famous Teatro la Fenice on the second evening to experience a magnificent performance in a world-famous environment with global stars. You can select between Essential and Superior Package.
Each travel package will be composed according to your wishes. Follow the booking process:
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Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone at La Fenice: Italian premiere conducted by Kent Nagano, staged by Georges Delnon. Myth reimagined in sound.
Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone at La Fenice: Italian premiere conducted by Kent Nagano, staged by Georges Delnon. Myth reimagined in sound.
Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone at La Fenice: Italian premiere conducted by Kent Nagano, staged by Georges Delnon. Myth reimagined in sound.
Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone at La Fenice: Italian premiere conducted by Kent Nagano, staged by Georges Delnon. Myth reimagined in sound.
Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone at La Fenice: Italian premiere conducted by Kent Nagano, staged by Georges Delnon. Myth reimagined in sound.
At the Teatro La Fenice, Venice
