Lee Abrahmsen

What makes Donna Anna one of opera's most complex women?

Donna Anna is often misunderstood — sometimes seen as distant or unfeeling, particularly in her relationship with Don Ottavio. But she's one of opera's most layered women: a young noblewoman whose future has been predetermined, suddenly forced to navigate trauma, guilt, and a fierce drive for justice. Her strength lies in how she holds all of that together while trying to honour duty, family, and her newly unsettled sense of identity. Her life is changed forever.

What surprised you most when preparing this role?

I was genuinely surprised by the sheer scale of this role. Vocally, it's a major undertaking — not because of flashy top notes, but because of the relentless writing. Donna Anna leads every ensemble high above the stave, has two contrasting and notoriously difficult arias, and sings one of Mozart's longest and most emotionally charged recitatives. Add the psychological weight she carries, and it becomes a role of remarkable stamina, nuance, and depth.

Is Donna Anna driven more by grief, justice, or something else?

Donna Anna is driven by grief and a fierce sense of justice, but underneath that lie two profound traumas. First, the ambiguous assault by Don Giovanni — an encounter Mozart leaves deliberately undefined in the score — and then the brutal murder of her father by the same masked intruder. Those experiences shape everything that follows, making her even more determined to seek the truth and pursue justice for her father.

Why does Don Giovanni still resonate with audiences today?

Don Giovanni resonates today because its characters are unmistakably human. Their desires, flaws, fears, and emotional honesty feel as real now as they did in Mozart's time. We still recognise people who live these stories — the charmers, the idealists, the wounded, the vengeful. The only element that steps outside reality is the supernatural ending, but even that gives the drama its thrilling sense of reckoning.

What do you hope audiences understand about Donna Anna after seeing this production?

I hope the audience can understand Donna Anna's plight – that the character has so many complexities as a human being, and many of these have been thrust upon her within hours of each other. That they can somehow feel compassion and empathy for her, having been through two of the worst traumas someone can experience in a lifetime, and they see her not as cold or rigid, but as a woman struggling to stay steady in the wake of such devastation.

Describe Donna Anna in three words.

Fragile. Courageous. Honour-bound.