This year 2024 should be considered a milestone of the Italian musical culture because in this year finally it took place the UNESCO’s recognition of the Italian Opera as an immaterial patrimony of the humanity. 

In order to celebrate this extraordinary event, our Ministry of Culture, together with Fondazione Opera Lirica di Verona planned a spectacular program from June 7 to September 7 at the 101th edition of Verona Opera Festival. The opening ceremony will be in world vision and the following day Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot will be performed with the direction of Franco Zeffirelli.

Furthermore, in order to commemorate Giacomo Puccini’s centenary of death, two more operas - Tosca and Boheme - will be dedicated to him.The program also includes Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida in two different versions as well as Gioacchino Rossini’s “ Il  Barbiere di Siviglia “ and the Exibition of Roberto Bolle and Friends on July 23 and 24.

The orchestra is composed by 150 musicians and 300 choir singers directed by Maestro Riccardo Muti. A great contribution of ideas for the success of the above initiatives has been given by the Italian Institute of Culture in Los Angeles: in fact they hosted the general manager of the Fondazione Arena di Verona Cecilia Gasdia, accompanied by Ivan Magri Tenor, Yeajin Joen Soprano, Sara Cortellezzis Soprano. Furthermore they performed the most popular arias by Giuseppe Verdi - Aida (ritorna vincitor), and by Giacomo Puccini - Gianni Schicchi (o mio babbino caro), Madama Butterfly (un bel di’ vedremo) (bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia), Tosca (vissi d’arte), Turandot (tu che di gel sei cinta) (nessun dorma).

Maestro James Colon, the music Director of Los Angeles Opera and principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra gave an incredible lecture regarding the Italian opera from Monteverdi and beyond.

More details about the opera season in Verona are available on: www.arena.it