(Credit: Sergio Roma)

On July 23, Luciano Ganci will return to the the Macerata Opera Festival for the second consecutive year. 

Ganci will take on the role of Radamès in the opening performance of “Aida,” marking his Italian debut in the role. He will be directed by stage director Valentina Carrasco and conducted by Francesco Lanzillotta.

The production will also star aria Teresa Leva, Veronica Simeoni, Marco Caria, and and Alessio Cacciamani. The production is a double anniversary for this Verdi work, which will be presented 150 years since its debut in Cairo and 100 years since it was first performed at the Sferisterio, when Count Pier Alberto Conti chose “Aida” to transform Macerata’s open–air arena into an opera theater.

In a statement, Ganci noted, “I’m delighted to be back at the Macerata Opera Festival, in an ideal environment for singers and such a beautiful theatre. I’m making my Italian debut as Radamès, having sung in the role at the Liceu in Barcelona, just before the pandemic broke out. When you have the privilege of ‘picking up’ a score like Aida, you are full of wonder, of admiration, and profound gratitude towards its composer. Aida is a magnificent opera in every way, with its grand theatrical dimensions, grand cast and grand sentiments. In Aida, each individual character is impressive, significant and, in some way, carries a message which is crucial to the plot of the opera.”

“Aida” runs through August 12 and will be performed four times.