Full scale opera in Gozo returns in May, courtesy of the Gaulitanus Choir who is consolidating last year’s experiment of a fully-fledged opera in spring, and returning to the Aurora, this time with Rigoletto.

The 9th edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music is already underway, and the opera production of Rigoletto is being performed towards the end of this 6-week long festival, on Friday, the 22nd of May, starting at 8.00pm.

The title role will be interpreted by Piero Terranova, whose career has seen him appear in many prestigious theatres such as Italy’s La Scala, La Fenice, San Carlo, Berlin’s Deutsche Oper and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and working with conductors and directors as Muti, Sinopli, Palumbo, Zeffirelli, De Ana and Vick. Only last October he was in Gozo at the Astra Theatre singing the title role of Nabucco.

Emerging Moldovian soprano Natalia Roman, will appear as Gilda. After first interpreting the role at the Arena di Verona, Roman has taken the Italian operatic scene by storm and her interpretations of the bel canto repertoire are highly acclaimed in the demanding Italian press.

The Duke of Mantua will be Italian tenor Giorgio Casciarri who has graced most of the world’s leading opera houses including the La Scala, the Metropolitan and the Vienna Staatoper.He made his début in 1992 as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto at the Teatro Piccinni in Bari. It is considered as his “cavallo di battaglia.”

Audiences for the Gozo opera, particularly at the Aurora should be familiar with the Italian Bass Emanuele Cordaro (who appeared in Trovatore (2014)) and the Polish mezzo Agata Bienkowska (who appeared as Meg in Falstaff (2013)). They will return after their respective successes, this time as Sparafucile and Maddalena.

Monterone, whose curse is the fulcrum of the opera’s plot, will be Salvatore di Salvo, Dave Monaco will be Borsa, Alberto Maria Munafo will be Ceprano and Marvo Tinnirello will be Marullo.

The cast is then complimented by Maltese artistes May Caruana as Giovanna, Patricia Buttigieg as Countess Ceprano, Annabelle Zammit as the Page, and David Debono as the Herald.

The choir said that last year’s Tosca, by the Gaulitanus choir was the first opera, in recent history, produced in Gozo, not by any one of the theatres, albeit housed at the Aurora Theatre.

“A success in its own right and right, the producers are keen on regale opera-lovers with another high-calibre production. In fact, this production by Enrico Castiglione was aired on Rai Mondovisione. Castiglione is also responsible for sets, while the lavish costumes will be Sonia Cammarata’s.”

Rigoletto at the Aurora Opera House will see the acclaimed participation of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (leader: Marcelline Agius), which, together with the male section of the Gaulitanus Choir and a complement of Italian choristers, will be directed by Colin Attard, himself being the director/founder of the Gaulitanus choir, and concurrently, the resident conductor of the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora.

Tickets vary from €80 to €30, with special €20 tickets available for students. They may be purchased online via www.teatruaurora.com or via the theatre’s ticket helpline 79045779.

A Pre-Opera Talk by Albert G. Storace will be held at 7.00pm at the Hall Francesco Masini at the Aurora Theatre.

Free ferry-theatre transport and back, in Gozo, will be provided, subject to prior booking.

Gaulitana: A Festival of Music, runs until the 24th May.

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