Adriana Mater

Adriana Mater London Tickets

A powerful and rarely staged contemporary opera by Kaija Saariaho, exploring love, violence and forgiveness in the shadow of war. When a woman is forced to raise a child born from brutality, she must decide whether truth destroys or redeems, and whether mercy can break a cycle of inherited violence.

This ENO debut brings together Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon and Music Director Designate André de Ridder in their first collaboration, staging Saariaho’s haunting score in a world shaped by conflict, memory and fragile hope. Adriana Mater arrives at the London Coliseum in 2026 in a production that is as emotionally devastating as it is musically luminous.

About Adriana Mater

Set during a brutal civil war, Adriana is left pregnant after a violent assault by a soldier. Choosing to raise her son, Yonas, she protects him from the truth of his origins and tries to build a life grounded in love rather than hatred.

Years later, Yonas discovers what happened and is consumed by a desire for revenge. Adriana is forced to confront the past and argue that true strength lies in mercy, not violence.

It’s worth the applause

• Kaija Saariaho’s acclaimed opera exploring war, trauma and forgiveness
• ENO debut bringing together Annilese Miskimmon and André de Ridder
• A rare UK staging of a modern masterpiece performed in English translation

Adriana Mater Cast

• Adriana: Kristina Stanek
• Yonas: Caspar Singh
• Tsargo: Leigh Melrose
• Refka: Lauren Fagan

Adriana Mater Creatives

• Music: Kaija Saariaho
• Libretto: Amin Maalouf
• English Translation: Aleksi Barrière
• Director: Annilese Miskimmon
• Conductor: André de Ridder