TheatreHD Opera Club in GUM Cinema. The Convert. Special screening with Natalia Surnina

The libretto, written by Christian Lada, is based on the novel of the same name by Belgian author Stefan Hertmans. The action unfolds at the end of the 11th century, during the First Crusade, and tells the story of a noble Norman girl, Vigdis Adelaïs, who falls in love with a Jewish youth and converts to Judaism. Wim Henderickx, known for his love of non-European music, masterfully blends elements of early Western music, modernism, and film scores with Jewish and Arabic musical traditions — the score features the duduk, oud, and qanun alongside a classical orchestra — while deliberately avoiding direct quotations.

The opera's vocal cast received exceptionally high praise from critics. The lead role was performed by Belgian soprano Lore Binon, joined on stage by Vincenzo Neri, Amel Brahim-Djelloul, Françoise Atlan, Daniel Arnaldos, Louvwuyo Mbundu, and Guido Jentjens.