Celebrated soprano Deborah Voigt has withdrawn from Washington National Opera's season-opening production of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" a week before the first performance. She will be replaced by Irene Theorin on Sept. 15, 18, 21 and 24, and by Alwyn Mellor for the final performance Sept. 27.
Here's Voigt's statement, released by WNO:
"Returning to a role that I love but haven't sung in a number of seasons, and encountering its unique challenges, has caused me to reconsider keeping it in my repertoire,. I'm very disappointed that I feel compelled to withdraw from this production, but am very happy to continue my association with WNO both this season and into the future."
That future association includes a role as the first artist-in-residence with WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.