Photo credit: Jiyang Chen & Opera Romana Craiova

Italian conductor Alvise Casellati leads the Opera Italiana is in the Air tour in a free concert starring tenor Michael Fabiano, baritone George Andguladze, and soprano Lydia Grindatto at the Lincoln Memorial on Sept. 21 at 5:30 pm.

The outdoor concert titled “Peace on Earth: The Art of Nature” features Fabiano’s rendition of Verdi’s “Hymn of Nations,” the “Là ci darem la mano” duet from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” arias from Pucini’s “Turnadot,” Verdi’s “I Vespri Siciliani,” and more. 11-year-old pianist, composer, and Juilliard student Isaac Thomas’ “All Around Earth” is also on the program. They are accompanied by members of the Washington National Opera Orchestra and young performers in the Washington, D.C. region.

Casellati expressed his excitement for this concert by saying, “Opera has been popular for 425 years, but in recent years it’s been perceived as music for the elite. It is not. It is as relevant to audiences today as ever, and we want to help a wider and younger audience see that and fall in love with it as so many others have.”

The performance at the Lincoln Memorial is held in honor of the U.N. International Day of Peace, and seeks to “shake up traditional opera and introduce it to a new, younger audience.” The concert will also stream through Opera Italiana’s YouTube channel.