Star Tenor Jonas Kaufmann Cancels Scala Season Opening

World-renowned opera singer withdraws from Milan's prestigious La Scala due to illness

Kaufmann cites health reasons for his withdrawal from Verdi's "Macbeth"

Milan, Italy - Star tenor Jonas Kaufmann has withdrawn from the season-opening production of Verdi's "Macbeth" at Milan's famed La Scala opera house due to illness. The 52-year-old German singer cited health reasons for his decision, which was announced by La Scala on Monday.

Kaufmann had been scheduled to sing the title role in the highly anticipated production, which is set to open on December 7. However, he will now be replaced by Ukrainian tenor Vitaliy Bilyy, who has previously performed the role of Macbeth at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

La Scala said in a statement that Kaufmann's withdrawal was due to "unforeseen health reasons" and that the singer was "deeply sorry" to have to cancel his performance. The opera house wished Kaufmann a speedy recovery and expressed its gratitude to Bilyy for stepping in on short notice.

Kaufmann's withdrawal is a major blow to La Scala, which had been counting on the star tenor to help kick off its new season with a bang. The German singer is one of the most sought-after tenors in the world and his performances are always highly anticipated.

It is not yet known when Kaufmann will return to the stage. His website currently lists no upcoming performances through the end of the year.