Dalia Stasevska makes her LA Opera debut conducting Phillip Glass’s rhythmically signature repetitive hypnotic and meditative score for Akhnaten. The breathtaking production, directed by Plelim McDermott, is visually striking with sets by Tom Pye and elaborate costumes by Kevin Pollard.
2026 LA Opera Akhnaten
Sun-Ly Pierce (Nefertiti), John Holiday (Akhnaten) and So Young Park (Queen Tye) in LA Opera’s 2026 production of Akhnaten. Photo credit: Cory Weaver
The pacing is slow and deliberate intensifying the ritualistic and sacred ceremonial tone of the opera. The opera does not present a formally sung libretto narrative. Glass relies on ancient hymns, prayers, letters, and inscriptions including excerpts from based on the Book of the Dead. What sound more like chants and invocations are sung in their original Egyptian, Hebrew, and Akkadian without translation. Even so, throughout the opera, the events taking place on stage are narrated in spoken English.
Akhnaten, The Story
The three-act opera tells of Amenhotep IV becoming pharaoh upon the death of his father Amenhotep III. He adopts the name Akhnaten to reflect his devotion to the sun god and creates first monotheistic religion. His mother Queen Aye and beloved wife Nefertiti support him. However, a mob devoted to one of the old gods, Amon kills him. Ascending to pharaoh is his son who takes the name Tutankhamun. Given all that, the operatic experience is less about the plot or the psychology of the characters. Furthermore, the performance leads the audience into a mystical and transcendent experience immersed in symbolism and luminous sound.
The Cast
A scene from LA Opera’s 2026 production of Akhnaten. Photo credit: Cory Weaver
The cast is led by countertenor John Holiday as Akhnaten who takes on the role with confident dignity. His rare vocal quality is like a female contralto or mezzo-soprano and accentuates an other worldly quality to his performance. Mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce is a supportive Nefertiti performing a moving duet with Holiday in Act II. Soprano So Young Park, appears as Queen Tye sustaining an emotional bearing. Bass Zaary James commands a towering presence as Amenhotep III guiding the audience through the action on stage. The six daughters of Akhnaten are performed by Emily Damasco, Katie Trigg, Abi Levis, Julia Maria Johnson, Erin Alford, and Kristen Choi. The masterful juggling choreographed by Sean Gandini performed by his ten-member team is integral to flow of the opera.
The program notes that the earliest known record of juggling is a four-thousand-year-old wall painting in Egypt’s Beni Hasan cemetery. The juggling rhythmically punctuates the structure of Glass’s score with visual patterns that hover the air. They provide an energetic sense of movement during the opera in contrast to the otherwise slow pace.
To experience LA Opera’s Akhnaten for a few hours is a welcome journey into an ethereal state of mind. Enjoy a talk by Dr. Tiffany Kuo one hour prior to the performance. Visit LAOpera.org/Akhnaten
