8th International Operetta Festival in Ikšķile

From 6:00 PM, enjoy the atmosphere of CAFÉ MUSICAL at the Community Centre – a café, live music, and an opportunity to take part in the TasteMaster workshop. The workshop is included in the ticket price.

✨SONORA VAICE✨
American playwright Terrence McNally’s play "Masterclass" is a moving yet witty story about an artist’s calling, creative perfection, and the price one must pay for excellence. The play centers on legendary opera singer Maria Callas, who, as she concludes her stage career, faces the difficult task of passing on her experience and artistic understanding to the next generation.
In the production directed by and starring Sonora Vaice, audiences are invited not only to watch a masterclass but to become participants in it. The performance reveals both the glamour and the dark side of the opera world, where humor intertwines with profound emotional revelations, crystallizing questions about talent, discipline, loneliness, and the immortality of art.
What happens when, in the course of a lifetime, one must sacrifice everything for a dream, and in the end—give up even the little that remains? “Masterclass” is the story of a person who has devoted her entire life to art, and whose exacting standards toward herself and others conceal both vulnerability and an inexhaustible love for music. It is a performance about dreams, ambitions, and the human desire to achieve the unattainable.
In the early 1970s, the legendary opera diva Maria Callas, having experienced the decline of her brilliant career, turned to teaching young singers at the Juilliard School in New York. During her master classes, she reminisces about her turbulent life—triumphs on stage, major roles, and unhappy love.

At the heart of the performance is a turbulent inner monologue that culminates in the powerful words: “Ho dato tutto a te!” (“I gave everything to you!”) At first, these words are addressed to the audience, but by the end of the performance, they become a tragic confession to herself.

The production “Masterclass” is Sonora Vaice’s graduation project in theater directing at the Latvian Academy of Culture, in which she brilliantly proves herself not only as an outstanding opera singer but also as a talented director.

Sonora Vaice is one of Latvia’s most outstanding opera artists and a multiple winner of the Latvian Grand Music Award. For her directorial debut at the Operetta Theater—the multimedia mono-opera “The Human Voice. The Telephone”—she received the prestigious Latvian Grand Music Award in the “Production of the Year” category.

Alongside her brilliant international career as an opera singer, Sonora Vaice is increasingly turning her attention to directing. In her directorial works—the multimedia productions “The Human Voice. The Telephone” and “Valentina”—special attention is paid to the synthesis of music, theater, and visual art, creating a contemporary and emotionally powerful stage language.

Sonora Vaice has also expanded her experience through international projects, working as an assistant director to the renowned Austrian artist Gernot Kranner on the production of the operetta “Giuditta” at the Operetta Theater. This collaboration allowed her to delve into the traditions of European musical theater and gain valuable experience working with an international creative team.

The production “Masterclass” organically combines Sonora Vaice’s many years of stage experience, her pedagogical perspective, and her deep understanding of the art of opera. It is a personal and artistically mature directorial statement.

Cast: SONORA VAICE, TATJANA GURĒVIČA, ANNA VAICE,
MĀRIS ŽAGARS (piano)

Creative team:
Director Sonora Vaice
Costume consultant Kristīne Pasternaka
Set designer and video artist Ineta Sipunova
Set Design Technician Ansis Gornavs
Lighting Designer Ivars Vācers
Lighting Designer’s Assistant Niklāvs Šūpols
Double Bass Soloist Adams Vaicis
Sound Recording Director Ernests Vīgners
Sound Engineer Markus Antons Kohtanens
Executive Producer Elizabete Bondare
Producers Kristīne Freiberga, Elza Strazdiņa, Ance Bergmane

The production was created with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation

Reviews
“A bull’s-eye! Sonora Vaice has chosen MacNally’s famous play *Master Class* about Maria Callas’s approach to teaching students, which intertwines with her memories of the opera singer’s heyday. At one time, this role was brilliantly performed at the Dailes Theatre by Ausma Kantāne. S. Vaice’s compelling performance is based not only on her ability to act at a recognized professional level, but also on her use of her wonderful talent as an opera singer to convincingly bring Callas’s words to life. A fine and valuable work. It deserves the opportunity to be shown to as wide an audience as possible.” Ugis Seglins, May 23, 2026; 97. Terence McNally “MASTER CLASS.” LKA. Dir. Sonora Vaice.

"Sonora Vaice shines in the play Masterclass. In my opinion, this is the only time in the 30 years since Terence McNally’s play has been staged that an opera singer has not only portrayed Maria Callas but also directed the production. And sings! And does it all wonderfully!" Marina Nasardinova, May 23, 2026.

We look forward to seeing you at other festival events as well