Sister Angelica harbours a tragic secret in Puccini’s breathtaking opera.

Banished to a convent in 17th century Florence, Angelica is marked apart even from her fellow sisters by her love for her illegitimate son. This one-act opera, originally written as part of a triptych, explores the human cost of misogyny through intimate, atmospheric music.

This opera was deemed to be “blurred by trivialities” by a critic at the New York Times following its 1918 world premiere. But the reality of life as an unmarried mother even in recent history, with the UK and Ireland’s ongoing reckoning with the legacy of the Magdalene laundries, can only sharpen the nuances of this poignant piece of theatre.

This is not the story of a woman’s failings, but that of the society which failed her.

Suor Angelica is brought to glittering life by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) as part of their International Festival residency on Sat 16 Aug 2025. They are joined by Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, a renowned interpreter of Puccini, and the award-winning soprano Carolina López Moreno as Suor Angelica.

At the 2025 International Festival, we have commissioned a series of expert essays to help you Dive Deeper into your Festival experience.

Read the programme note  on Puccini's Suor Angelica by Olivia Giovetti. It explores how a story once maligned as too 'romantic' and 'trivial' is in fact heightened by its historical context.