Tickets

Saturday, November 12, 2011  -  8:00 PM
Tuesday, November 15, 2011  -  7:00 PM
Friday, November 18, 2011  -  8:00 PM
Sunday, November 20, 2011  -  2:00 PM

See video from the opening scene of Act I. 
See video: Sean Panikkar and Craig Verm sing "Au fond du temple saint."
See video of Leila's aria "Comme autrefois..."

Premiering 12 years before Carmen, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers is a spellbinding, lyrical gem in its own right. Its very famous duet “Au fond du temple saint” underscores the bond at the heart of the conflict between pearl fishers Zurga and Nadir: both are in love with the priestess Leïla. Grand choral passages and exotic dance sequences make it an intoxicating spectacle, in a production designed by Zandra Rhodes, internationally-renowned fashion designer.
Former Resident Artists Sean Panikkar and Craig Verm (both in The Grapes of Wrath, 2008), return as Nadir and Zurga, alongside soprano Leah Partridge as Leila and Andrew Gangestad as Nourabad, both in their Pittsburgh Opera debuts. Andrew Sinclair, from Royal Opera House Covent Garden, directs; Music Director Antony Walker conducts.

2011-2012 Season Sponsor: PNC
Production Sponsor:
Opening Night Sponsor: ELEMENTS Contemporary Cuisine
Pittsburgh Opera is a proud member of


• All performances of The Pearl Fishers are at the Benedum Center.
• UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD: Sung in French with English texts projected above the stage.
• Estimated run time is 2 hours, 10 minutes with 1 intermission.
• Join us one hour before each performance for the Pre-Opera Talk. Free to all performance ticketholders, Pre-Opera Talks are full of insights on the opera, the composer, and more!

Pearl Fishers photos by David Bachman.