René Barbera, Florian Sempey and Alisa Medvedeva appear with the Filharmonie Brno under Maestro Arkady Beryn at the Philharmonie Berlin on 2 November 2026.
On 2 November 2026, three distinctive operatic voices will meet on the stage of the Philharmonie Berlin. Tenor René Barbera, baritone Florian Sempey and soprano Alisa Medvedeva will appear with the Filharmonie Brno under Maestro Arkady Beryn for an evening built around the variety and dramatic range of the operatic repertoire.
Each of the three soloists arrives in Berlin with a different artistic profile. Barbera is known for a career that has taken him from his native United States to many of Europe’s foremost opera houses. In 2011, he became the first singer to win all three top prizes at Plácido Domingo’s Operalia competition, before going on to appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Opéra national de Paris, the Vienna State Opera and the Bavarian State Opera.
Florian Sempey brings a different vocal tradition to the evening. The French baritone has become particularly associated with Rossini and the role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville, performing at institutions including the Opéra national de Paris and the Royal Opera House in London. His career has also taken him to major stages and festivals across Europe and Asia. In 2022, he was appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Soprano Alisa Medvedeva, a graduate of the Saint Petersburg Conservatoire, has built an international performance career spanning Europe and the Middle East. Her appearances include Dubai Opera, Wiener Stadthalle and Mozarthaus Vienna, as well as performances in Paris, Monaco, Porto Cervo, St. Moritz and Bucharest. She has shared the stage with artists including Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo, Vittorio Grigolo and Luca Salsi.
The singers will be accompanied by the Filharmonie Brno, one of the Czech Republic’s principal orchestras. Founded in 1956, the ensemble has performed internationally for decades, bringing the rich orchestral tradition of Brno to concert halls and festivals well beyond the Czech Republic.
The evening will be conducted by Maestro Prof. Arkady Beryn, whose career is as international as the cast. Chief Conductor of the Internationale Symphoniker Deutschland from 2003 to 2011, he has led the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata Salzburg, the Győr Philharmonic – Hungary’s state orchestra – and a series of German ensembles from the Berliner Symphoniker to the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. In July 2026 he conducted a concert performance of Eugene Onegin in Jerusalem. In December 2005 the World Wide Web VIP Loge International in Zurich made him an honorary member for his contribution to connecting outstanding personalities across borders; he also holds the Grand Prix of an international competition in Luxembourg.
The setting is one of Berlin’s defining musical spaces. The Großer Saal of the Philharmonie Berlin, designed by Hans Scharoun and opened in 1963, places musicians at the physical centre of the auditorium, surrounded by terraces of spectators. On 2 November, that stage becomes the meeting point for three very different voices and a full symphony orchestra.
EVENT INFORMATION
Operngala-Nacht – Opera Gala at the Philharmonie Berlin
Monday, 2 November 2026, 20:00
Philharmonie Berlin – Großer Saal
Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Conductor: Maestro Arkady Beryn
Soloists: René Barbera, tenor; Florian Sempey, baritone; Alisa Medvedeva, soprano
Orchestra: Filharmonie Brno (Brno Philharmonic)
Programme: Arias, duets, overtures and intermezzi by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Puccini, Bizet, Verdi, Mascagni, Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Dvořák and Zequinha de Abreu
Tickets: from €26.50 via Eventim – eventim.de/artist/philharmonie-berlin/operngala-nacht-philhamonie-berlin-4122419
Event page: Philharmonie Berlin – berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/concert/calendar/57371
Event listing: visitBerlin – visitberlin.de/en/event/brno-philharmonic-opera-gala-night