The Hallé Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder

A hero who knows no fear. A sword that cannot break. A love so strong it conquers immortality.

Following last year’s ecstatically received Die Walküre, the third instalment of the International Festival’s four-year Ring cycle leads us ever deeper into Wagner’s vast mythological universe, introducing us to the greatest operatic hero of them all.

Among an exceptional international cast, revered US soprano Christine Goerke returns as the mighty Valkyrie Brünnhilde, and New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill – last year’s Siegmund – takes the title role, with world-renowned Scottish bass-baritone Iain Paterson as the mysterious, all-knowing Wanderer.