Jeni Bern and Ronald Samm perform as Karolina and Ladislav in The Two Widows with the Birmingham Opera Company, as part of the Smetana 200 Festival in Litomyšl, Czech Republic. The new production is directed by Lorenzo Ponte, with Lada Valesova as musical director.
In summer 2023, Birmingham Opera Company hosted the 13th European Opera Directing Prize. The €25,000 prize was awarded by Camerata Nuova. That prize is enabling the winning team, headed by Lorenzo Ponte, to create their new production of the Birmingham Two Widows to mark the bicentenary of the Smetana’s birth. The Birmingham version of The Two Widows was created by Graham Vick and Christopher Willis, with sung text translated by David Pountney.
