The love between Aida and Radamès embodies humanity and hope
American soprano Ailyn Pérez is one of the most sought-after singers in her field, performing at major opera houses around the world. The Semperoper is the only one missing from the list. To make her house debut even more spectacular, she will mark the occasion with a role debut: the title role in Verdi’s Aida.
You sing many major roles; what is special about Verdi’s soprano roles?
— What I love most about Verdi is his profound understanding of humanity. He understood the voice beautifully, of course, but he also understood people. His soprano roles demand not only vocal beauty and strength, but emotional honesty, vulnerability, and courage.
His heroines are rarely simple. They are women navigating impossible circumstances, often caught between love, duty, family, and survival. I also admire how often Verdi is drawn to stories about outsiders—people whom society might overlook, judge, or silence. Through his music, he gives them dignity, complexity, and a powerful voice.
Whether it is Violetta, Leonora, Desdemona, or Aida, these women invite us to look beyond appearances and connect with something deeply human. That is one reason Verdi continues to speak to audiences across generations.
Ailyn Pérez © Solomon Howard
The music in Aida shifts between chamber-like moments and grand tableaux — what do you love about Verdi’s Aida?
— What fascinates me about Aida is that despite its enormous scale, it is ultimately a very intimate opera.
People naturally think of the Triumphal March, the spectacle, and the grandeur, but the heart of the piece lives in its quieter moments. Verdi creates extraordinary musical landscapes where longing, memory, love, homesickness, and inner conflict become almost tangible.
Aida is a woman divided between her love for Radamès and her devotion to her father and homeland. She belongs to two worlds and fully to neither. That emotional tension runs through the entire opera.
I love how Verdi moves effortlessly between the personal and the monumental. Even in the largest scenes, he never loses sight of the individual human heart. That balance is part of what makes Aida such a masterpiece.
The love between Aida and Radamès is boundless. How would you describe their bond?
— What moves me most about Aida and Radamès is that their love begins with recognition.
Before they are enemies, before they are symbols of opposing nations, they simply see one another as human beings. They recognize the dignity and worth of the other.
Their love is tested constantly by politics, war, family loyalty, and impossible choices. It would be easier for both of them to walk away, yet they continue choosing one another despite the consequences.
For me, their relationship represents hope in the midst of division. It reminds us that human connection can transcend borders, identities, and conflict. In a world that often asks people to choose sides, their love insists on seeing the person first.
You perform at the world’s leading opera houses. What are you looking forward to about your debut in Dresden?
— I am truly excited to be here in Dresden. This engagement marks both my debut at the Semperoper and my first performances as Aida, which makes it an especially meaningful moment in my career.
It is even more special because I am sharing it with my husband, basso cantabile Soloman Howard, who is singing Ramfis. Opera brought us together, and throughout our lives and careers we have been fortunate to share the stage in different corners of the world. To experience my first Aida alongside him in Dresden is something I will always treasure.
What also feels particularly fitting is that Aida explores themes of homeland, identity, love, and the human cost of conflict. Although Verdi’s story takes place in ancient Egypt, these themes remain timeless. Dresden is a city that has known both tremendous loss and extraordinary renewal, and there is something deeply moving about bringing this story to life in a place with such a rich cultural memory.
And of course, there is the tremendous privilege of performing at the Semperoper with the Staatskapelle Dresden. The orchestra’s sound is legendary, and the theater’s renowned acoustics allow both the intimacy and grandeur of Verdi’s score to shine. For a singer making a role debut, there could hardly be a more inspiring environment in which to discover this masterpiece.
Text by Benedikt Stampfli.