In one amazing two-year burst of inspiration, Giuseppe Verdi composed three of the world’s most beloved operas that set a new path for the art form and secured his place in the opera pantheon. Maestro Robert Butts will discuss “Verdi’s Trilogy: Il Trovatore, Rigoletto and La Traviata,” 2 PM Wednesday, May 14 at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch.

Maestro Butts will discuss the importance of these masterpieces to Verdi’s career and to the international opera world. The discussion of these pivotal works is a worthy introduction to the worldwide 2026 celebrations of Verdi’s life and career.