54th MAY OPERA EVENINGS
GIACOMO PUCCINI
“TOSCA”
May 16, 2026, 8:00 PM
Conductor: Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski – Poland
Director: Ognian Draganoff – Bulgaria
Set Designer: Zoran Nikolovski
Costume Designer: Marija Pupuchevska
Asst. Conductor: Katerina Stojkovska
Asst. Director: Dejan Proshev
Concert Master: Jane Bakevski
Chorus Masters: Gjurgjica Dashikj, Jasmina Gjorgjeska
Repetiteurs: Elena Siljanoska, Janinka Nevcheva, Andreja Naunov, Anastasija Grgovska
Stage Managers: Dragan Kostadinovikj, Marko Pavlevski, Katerina Boshkovska
Prompters: Nevena Georgieva, Ivana Jordanovska
CAST:
FLORIA TOSCA: Marija Jelikj – Serbia
CAVARADOSSI: Milen Bozhkov – Bulgaria
SCARPIA: Leonardo López Linares – Argentina
ANGELOTTI: Vladimir Sazdovski
SACRISTAN: Dragan Ampov
SPOLETTA: Marjan Nikolovski
SCIARRONE: Kristijan Antovski
GAOLER: Nikola Chedomirovski
SHEPHERD BOY: Desanka Gligorijevikj
CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONAL OPERA AND BALLET
THEME: Passion, betrayal, and sacrifice. A symphony of love echoing in the shadows of Rome.
SYNOPSIS
The painter Mario Cavaradossi helps Angelotti, a republican who has escaped from prison, to find refuge. However, the Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia, and his agents are hot on the trail. Through a series of cunning promises and threats, Scarpia extorts a confession from Tosca, the painter’s lover, leading to Cavaradossi’s capture and death sentence.
Tosca begs for mercy, but Scarpia refuses. He offers to spare Cavaradossi only if Tosca agrees to give herself to him. To save her lover, Tosca consents, but in return demands safe-passage documents that will allow them both to leave Rome securely.
It is agreed that the execution by firing squad will be a mock one. As Scarpia finishes the documents and moves to embrace Tosca, she stabs him to death with a knife. She immediately rushes to Cavaradossi to tell him that the execution will be a sham and that he must pretend to fall.
Scarpia, however, had betrayed her and ordered a real execution. The order is carried out, and Cavaradossi is shot dead. Distraught and realizing she has been deceived, Tosca discovers that Scarpia’s agents are coming for her. Before they can seize her, she throws herself from the battlements of the Castel Sant’Angelo into the abyss.