French composer Georges Bizet's famed opera "Carmen" will be presented to Istanbulite art enthusiasts tonight as part of the 13th International Istanbul Opera Festival.

With a libretto written by Ludovic Halevy and Henri Meilhac, the famed opera will be put on stage in a production helmed by Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini, with choreography by Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (IDOB) chief choreographer Ayşem Sunal Savaşkurt, under the baton of conductor Zdravko Lazarov.

The opera will be performed at the Open Air Stage of the Haliç Congress Center at 9 p.m. local time, with tickets available at biletinial.com.

When Carmen was first staged in Paris in 1875, it was derided by many critics. After Bizet's death, interest in "Carmen" picked up, eventually making it one of the world’s most-staged operas.

The opera tells the love story of soldier Don Jose and a gypsy named Carmen.

Famous Romanian mezzo-soprano Ramona Zaharia will play the role of Carmen, while Efe Kislali will play Don Jose.

The 13th International Istanbul Opera Festival started on July 16 with a "7 Tenors" concert and continued with the Italian opera the Tosca on July 20 and the opera "Murat IV" on July 23.

Keeping with tradition, the festival will close with a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s "The Abduction from the Seraglio" on July 30 at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM). The opera, under director Caner Akın with choreography by Tan Sağtürk, will be performed in its classical form but with some references to the recent pandemic.