The Astra Theatre has announced a “powerhouse trio” for next months performances of Puccini’s Tosca as part of Gozo’s opera season.

Martina Serafin, starring in the title role of Floria Tosca, has performed to ovations at Covent Garden, La Scala, the Paris Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper and beyond, with a career spanning Puccini, Verdi, Wagner and Strauss in the world’s great houses.

Born in Vienna into a family of musicians, she studied at the Vienna Conservatory under Otto Edelman, beginning her career in operetta before making her operatic debut in Graz and Stuttgart, soon becoming a sought-after soprano on many of the world’s leading stages. Recognised as one of today’s great interpreters of Tosca, she has performed the role to great acclaim at the Rome Opera, Florence, Covent Garden, the Arena di Verona, Milan’s La Scala, Caracalla, the Paris Opera and the Vienna Staatsoper, as well as in Berlin, Barcelona, Melbourne, Beijing and Monte Carlo.

Dario di Vietri, performing as Mario Cavaradossi, celebrated for his powerful voice and dramatic presence, has also captivated audiences from the Arena di Verona to Torre del Lago in signature roles including Calaf, Radamès, Don Jose and Cavaradossi.

He studied at the Milan Conservatoire and the Scuola dell’Opera Italiana in Bologna, refining his artistry with great masters including Katia Ricciarelli, Jaume Aragall and Luciano Pavarotti. Since his debut as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, he has built a distinguished international career, performing leading roles in major opera houses from the Arena di Verona, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and La Scala, to the Seoul Arts Centre, the National Opera of Athens, the Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago and the Vienna State Opera. His signature roles include Calaf (Turandot), Radames (Aida), Cavaradossi (Tosca), Don Jose (Carmen), Samson (Samson et Dalila), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana), Riccardo (Un ballo in maschera) and Manrico (Il trovatore), performed under the baton of many of the world’s foremost conductors.The Astra Theatre said that it will once again host Badral Chuluunbaatar, this time in the role of the menacing Baron Scarpia. Acclaimed as one of opera’s most promising young baritones, Chuluunbaatar studied in his homeland, Mongolia, before graduating with top honours from the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow.

He later refined his technique in Italy with Anatoly Gussev, Nunzia Santodirocco and Sergio La Stella. A multi-award-winning baritone, he has triumphed in prestigious international competitions, including first prizes at the Rimsky-Korsakov, Bibigul Tulegenova and Eva Marton competitions. His professional debut in Italy came in 2019 at Teatro alla Scala, followed by notable appearances at the Arena di Verona, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari and the Mariinsky Theatre. He has sung leading roles such as Amonasro (Aida), Germont (La traviata), Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana), Don Carlo (Ernani), Rigoletto (Rigoletto), Gerard (Andrea Chenier) and Tonio (Pagliacci), earning acclaim for his powerful voice and commanding stage presence.

Familiar singers will also form part of the cast such as Noel Galea in the role of Angelotti, Louis Andrew Cassar as the sacristan, Angelo Muscat as Spoletta, Ivan Vella as Sciarrone, Alessandro della Morte as the jailer, and Jamie Sciberras as the shepherd boy.

The Astra Theatre’s Tosca “promises an unforgettable evening of passion and glorious music, continuing the theatre’s proud tradition of bringing opera of the highest calibre to its audiences,” it said.

This production will be helmed by Astra’s “visionary” director Enrico Stinchelli and conducted by Mro Dr John Galea, who the theatre said, “is certainly not a new name in the local opera scene.” Francis Camilleri will lead the renowned Astra Theatre Opera Chorus for the first time, whilst Matteo Capobianco and Joseph Cauchi are responsible for the costume and set designs respectively.

Tosca is being performed on Thursday, the 23rd and Saturday, the 25th of October, both starting at 7.30pm. To book seats please click on the respective link.

The opera is being produced through the support of the Malta Arts Council, the Ministry for Gozo and Planning and Bank of Valletta.

Photos: Astra Theatre

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