Rossini Gala

On 2 January 2018, Alberto Zedda would have celebrated his 90th birthday. Unfortunately, the Italian maestro passed away on 6 March 2017 in the Rossini "mecca" of Pesaro. What could have been a festive birthday concert devoted to his favourite composer, Rossini, will now become an homage to the eminent Rossini specialist who developed very close ties with Opera Vlaanderen in the course of the previous seasons ('La Cenerentola', 'Semiramide', 'Il Viaggio a Reims', 'Otello', 'Armida' and the 'Stabat Mater').

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In this gala homage we will be presenting the cream of the Italian belcanto singers, all of whom regularly collaborated with Zedda, in a programme that offers a perfect panorama of the composer's long and intense career in opera. From the early melodrama Tancredi to the iconic comedy Il Barbiere di Siviglia to the late operas from Rossini's Paris period: the light-hearted Il Viaggio a Reims and the ultimate dramatic masterpiece – the grand opéra Guillaume Tell.

Many soloists in this New Year's concert have previously graced the stage at Opera Vlaanderen, such as Carmen Romeu (Otello & Armida), Enea Scala (Armida, Le Duc d'Albe), Nicola Alaimo (Simon Boccanegra) and Michele Pertusi (La Damnation de Faust). New names are a.o. Salome Jicia and Teresa Iervolino. Vocal fireworks guaranteed!

Length: ca. 2 h 30 min, incl. interval