On February 1, artist Alexei Isaev of the Premier Art Agency will make his debut at the Mariinsky Theatre. He will perform the role of Count di Luna in G. Verdi's opera The Troubadour.

Here's what the opera's director Pier Luigi Pizzi says about the character:

"I find the portrayals of the main characters very impressive. I believe that the Count di Luna is another protagonist. To him Verdi entrusts the most noble and passionate arias. The persistence with which he searches for his missing brother and the love impulse towards Leonora, the longing and anger of unrequited feelings make the Count di Luna a strong dramatic character"