The world-known director and set designer with his first premiere for the season 2014/2015 in Sofia

The famous all over the world director and set designer Hugo de Ana, who opened the season of Sofia Opera and Ballet with production of “Aida” by Verdi to be remembered, is coming back also with the theatre’s first production for season 2014/2015, “Samson et Dalila” by Camille Saint-Sëans. The acclaimed for his spectacular scenery sets as well as for his special way to use the lights de Ana will arrive in Sofia in June for the beginning of the work on the production, the premiere of which will be on 11 December.

Born in Buenos Aires, Hugo de Ana graduated at Ernesto de la Corcova Arts School as professor in visual arts and custom design for TV and cinema. Right after graduation, he lectured at the Universidad de la Plata.  The career of the world-known director started as Technical Director and Executive Producer at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. There he staged operas like "Turandot", "Werther", "Don Carlo", "Cavalleria rusticana", "Pagliacci", "Medea" and "The Rake’s Progress". Then he moved to Santiago de Chile, where he was producer of "Roméo et Juliette", "Lucrezia Borgia", "Don Carlo" and "Les contes d'Hoffmann". For three consecutive years he received the critics' award for best director. Soon he started his collaboration with Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, and the Liceu Opera Theatre in Barcelona, where he signed works like "Armida", "Andrea Chénier", "Die Walküre", "La Bohème", "Ermione" and "Otello".

Hugo de Ana made his Italian debut in 1990, staging "Mosè in Egitto" in Bologna. Since that moment he started collaborating with the most important Italian theatres: Teatro La Scala in Milan ("Lucrezia Borgia", "Samson et Dalila", "La forza del destino" and "Il Trovatore"), Teatro Regio in Turin ("Manon Lescaut"), Teatro San Carlo in Naples ("Mosè in Egitto"), Teatro dell’Opera in Rome ("Ermione", "Werther", "Respigi’s Marie Victoire" and "La Fiamma", "Il Barbiere di Siviglia", Mascagni’s "Iris"), Arena di Verona ("Nabucco", "Les contes d’Hoffman"), Rossini Opera Festival ("Semiramide"), Teatro la Fenice in Venice ("Carmen"), as well as the theatres of Genoa, Catania and Parma.

He worked also with Deutsche Oper Berlin ("Don Carlo"), Covent Garden in London ("Lucrezia Borgia", "Don Carlo"), Seville Opera House ("Aida") and Tel Aviv Opera house ("Tosca"). Among his productions are: "Le Cid" in Seville and Washington, "Simon Boccanegra" in Parma, "Turandot", "L´elisir d´amore" and "Norma" in Tokyo. Hugo de Ana has recently directed Gounod’s "Faust" at Teatro Regio in Parma, completing the Faust opera cycle.
He is bearer of the Abbiati Prize for his stage direction of "Iris", "Turandot" and "Les contes d’Hoffman" in 1997. For the production of "Don Carlo" at Teatro Real in Madrid in 2001 he was distinguished for best stage direction, set designs and costumes. In 2002 he won the Opera Award for "La forza del destino" and two years later for Gounod’s "Faust".

On 9 May at 19.00 h and on 10 May at 11.00 and at 19.00 h at Sofia Opera and Ballet will be performed for the last time this season Hugo de Ana’s production of "Aida".