(Photo: Roberto Ricci) Experiencing Verdi in Busseto, the composer’s birthplace, remains a stirring prospect for any devotee of Italian opera. The Festival Verdi has wisely extended its activities beyond Parma’s Teatro Regio, bringing opera and concerts to venues throughout the city and its environs. Having previously attended a performance of “Il trovatore” in a seldom-used opera house in nearby Fidenza, {…}
Toledo Opera will present “Aida” All Access, a package of events surrounding opening night of Verdi’s “Aida,” on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. The evening begins at The Toledo Club with Operatizer, a pre performance gathering in the club’s Red Room featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and a presentation by Dr. Sophie Ong, assistant director of {…}
(Credit: Gran Teatre del Liceu) On Sept. 28, the Gran Teatre del Liceu’s performance of “Aida” was interrupted by an alert issued by Civil Protection. According to La Vanguardia and a video the news source shared, the alert was urging caution due to a storm forecast that was forecast for Tuesday, Sept. 29. The theater was filled to 97 percent {…}
Toledo Opera and Toledo Spirits will present “Get Into the Spirit of Opera” on Oct. 1, 2026. The showcase, set to kick off at 5:30 p.m. local time at the Toledo Spirits Company in Toledo, Ohio will feature signature cocktails and mocktails crafted by Toledo Spirits, as well as a performance by members of the “Aida” cast. Audience members will {…}
Toledo Opera will present “Aida: Homelands” on Sunday, Oct. 11, at TolHouse in downtown Toledo. The showcase, which is a preview for the company’s upcoming “Aida” production will explore the music, culture, food and history connected to Ethiopia and the story at the center of Verdi’s late masterwork. The event is organized by Toledo Opera’s Audience Development Committee and sponsored {…}
Toledo Opera is set to present Verdi’s “Aida” for the first time in over a decade. The opera will be performed on Oct. 16 and 18 at the Valentine Theatre under conductor Adam Turner. Stage director Linda Brovsky will direct the production featuring choreography by Matthew Steffens. Meanwhile the cast will include Mary Elizabeth Williams in the title role, Brendan {…}
Opera Australia’s “Aida” will return to Sydney Harbour in 2027. The production, which will be presented at Fleet Steps, is set to take the stage of Mrs Macquaries Point from March 27 to April 25, 2027. Gale Edwards directs the production, which premiered in 2015. Sets and costumes are designed by Mark Thompson with Matt Scott designing the lighting and {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced various cast changes for its production of “Aida.” The company said, that Àngel Òdena will sing Amonasro, replacing Ariun Ganbaatar on Sept. 23, 29, Oct. 3, 8, 11, and 14, 202.6 The bass Vittorio De Campo will sing the King, replacing Manuel Fuentes, while tenor Ivan Gyngazov will sing Radamès, replacing Yusif Eyvazov {…}
When Maria José Siri sings her performance of “Aida” on Sept. 10, the soprano will have completed 200 performances of the famed Verdi opera. Since 2003, the role has been in Siri’s repertoire. She first sang it in Argentina and would go on to perform it at such major theaters as the Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Massimo, Arena di Verona, {…}
(Credit: Arena di Verona) Oddly enough, the Arena di Verona was offering two different productions of “Aida” this summer: Franco Zeffirelli’s and Stefano Poda’s. Judging from Poda’s staging of “Nabucco” the previous evening, I was glad to have found myself at Zeffirelli’s classic production, which I had first seen in 2018. True, Zeffirelli had positively buried Verdi’s opera beneath gold. Yet, {…}
On Sept. 4 and 10, 2026, Maria José Siri will sing her 200th performance of the title role of “Aida.” The soprano will perform the role at the Arena di Verona, where she has sung for several years. Siri’s journey with “Aida” began in 2003 in Argentina, at the Teatro El Círculo in Rosario and later went on to perform {…}