Nabucco

Conquest, political ambition and a struggle for freedom unfold through Verdi’s forceful choruses and large-scale dramatic writing. Florida Grand Opera presents Nabucco on Saturday, April 17, Sunday, April 18 and Tuesday, April 20 at the Adrienne Arsht Center as part of its 2026-2027 season. The early Verdi opera follows a ruler brought down by his own arrogance and an enslaved people longing for their homeland. After conquering Jerusalem, Babylonian king Nabucco imprisons the Hebrew people and declares himself a god. When he is struck by madness, his ambitious adopted daughter Abigaille seizes the throne, setting the stage for a conflict shaped by betrayal, faith and the consequences of unchecked power. The score includes “Va, pensiero,” the chorus sung by the Hebrew captives as they mourn their lost homeland. Composed by Giuseppe Verdi with a libretto by Temistocle Solera, the opera will be sung in Italian with projected English and Spanish translations.