03.07.2026

OLIVIA VERMEULEN with Jommelli at the Ludwigsburg Schloss festival

The mezzo-soprano Olivia Vermeulen is one of the most distinguished interpreters of the Baroque and Classical repertoire. With her stylistic mastery and expressive artistry, she is a regular feature on Europe’s major concert stages and focuses on both well-known masterpieces and the performance of lesser-known 18th-century works: This is now the case with Niccolò Jommelli’s Didone Abbandonata, which returns to the composer’s historic place of activity as part of this year’s Ludwigsburg Castle Festival and is performed by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Francesco Corti, in a finely nuanced and historically informed interpretation.

Jommelli served as court Kapellmeister in Ludwigsburg from 1753 to 1769 and had a decisive influence on the development of opera seria. With Didone abbandonata, the composer created a masterpiece that captivates not only through its dramatic depth but also through its musical sophistication. First performed in Rome in 1747, Jommelli thoroughly revised his Didone for the Ludwigsburg production. The Württemberg version of 1763 is particularly magnificent in its musical composition and reflects his role as a composer caught between the spirit of the age, reform and representation.
 

Cast

Jone Martínez, Didone
Maayan Licht, Enea
Olivia Vermeulen, Selene
Valerio Contaldo, Iarba
Leandro Marziotte, Araspe
Suzanne Jerosme, Osmida

Francesco Corti, Musical Director
Nina Brazier, Stage Director
Freiburg Baroque Orchestra