DON JUAN PREMIERES ON OPERAVISION

The opera Don Juan no existe. Sobre lo que olvidamos y lo que permanece, by composer Helena Cánovas, will be available online from 8 November on the OperaVision platform.

The work is the result of the second edition of the Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award, dedicated to opera composition, which distinguished the young Catalan composer. Her project, a contemporary chamber opera offering a radically new perspective on the myth of Don Juan and reclaiming the memory of women silenced throughout history, had its world premiere on 8 August 2024 at the Festival Perelada.

A co-production of Festival Perelada, Gran Teatre del Liceu and Teatro de la Maestranza, with the participation of Teatro Real and Teatros del Canal, the work was enthusiastically received by both audience and critics, and continued with performances in Madrid and Seville during 2025. With a libretto by Alberto Iglesias, stage direction by Bàrbara Lluch, and musical direction by Jhoanna Sierralta, the production offers a profound reflection on the construction of myth and the invisibility of women.

The recording to be streamed on OperaVision corresponds to the original performance at Festival Perelada, featuring the same cast from the premiere: soprano Natalia Labourdette in a demanding double role, tenor Pablo García-López, baritone David Oller, the Cosmos Quartet, saxophonist Helena Otero, percussionist Miquel Vich, and composer Helena Cánovas performing live electronics.

The premiere of Don Juan no existe was one of the highlights of the 38th edition of Festival Perelada and received international recognition with its nomination at the 2025 International Opera Awards in the Best World Premiere category.

Its release on OperaVision will bring this production to audiences worldwide through one of Europe’s leading digital opera platforms. Managed by Opera Europa with the support of the European Union’s Creative Europe programme, OperaVision offers free streams and recordings from theatres across the continent. This initiative is part of Opera Europa Next Generation, which between 2025 and 2028 will promote and give visibility to over 560 emerging artists in opera and dance, both in person and online, thanks to a consortium of 44 European institutions.