Tenor Jonas Kaufmann canceled his appearance in the new production of Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” which opened the season at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala on December 7.

In the cast, which includes Anna Netrebko as Leonora and Ludovic Tézier as Carlo, the 55-year-old actor will be replaced by Brian Jagde as Alvaro.

“I had to cancel my participation for family reasons,” Kaufmann said in a statement on Tuesday. “I have already had the privilege of attending this extraordinary Italian cultural event several times, so I am even more sorry to miss this special event.” and this time to disappoint the audience and my colleagues, I still hope for your understanding – especially in a country where family is still very important.

December 7, in Milan, the patron saint of the city, St. It is a holiday celebrating Ambrose’s birthday, and the opening at La Scala is one of the highlights of the social season.

Kaufmann was scheduled to sing with Netrebko in a pre-opening performance titled “Homage to Puccini” at La Scala on November 29, marking the 100th anniversary of composer Giacomo Puccini’s death.