Opera, ballet and concerts. The Arena di Verona Opera Festival opens a sold-out week

Already sold-out the first three: Zorba the Greek, on 27 and 28 August at the Roman Theatre, and the world premiere of the immersive show Viva Vivaldi in the Arena on the 28th .

Places still available for opera with stars such as Pirozzi, Kaufmann, Luciano, Tézier: Aida on Thursday 29 August, Tosca on Friday 30, Il Barbiere di Siviglia on Saturday 31.

The week closes with Carmina Burana on Sunday 1 September.

From 27 August to 1 September, the Arena di Verona Opera Festival doubles its stages, offering seven performances in six days. On Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 the ballet returns to the Roman Theatre with Zorba the Greek, already sold-out both evenings. Also sold out for the world premiere in the Arena of the immersive show Viva Vivaldi co-produced by Balich Wonder Studio. Three dates of great opera in the Festival's classical productions follow: Aida on Thursday 29, Tosca on Friday 30, Il Barbiere di Siviglia on Saturday 31 August, all with prestigious batons and casts of international stars. On Sunday 1 September, the young Michele Spotti conducts the Arena Orchestra and Chorus in Orff's spectacular Carmina Burana. 

THREE SOLD-OUTS IN TWO DAYS. The seats for Zorba the Greek and the Viva Vivaldi show are already sold out. Zorba the Greek is perhaps the ballet most closely linked to Veronese history: directed by Mikis Theodorakis, it premiered at the Arena in 1988. Re-proposed in 2023 after eight years of absence of the Arena Ballet from the Roman Theatre with overwhelming success, Zorba returns to the same setting on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 August at 9.15 p.m., thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Verona and the Estate Teatrale Veronese. The staging is by Filippo Tonon (sets) and Sergio Toffali (lights) while the choreographies are by their creator, Lorca Massine. The soloists are prima ballet dancers from all over Europe: Davide Buffone makes his Verona debut as the protagonist, with Eleana Andreoudi (Marina), Liudmila Konovalova (Hortense), Gioacchino Starace (John) and Denys Cherevychko (Manolios). 
At the same time, on Wednesday 28 August at 9.30 p.m., the Arena is also sold-out for Viva Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Immersive Concert, co-produced with Balich Wonder Studio and directed by Marco Balich to celebrate with a large and unprecedented multimedia show the 300th anniversary of the publication of the Venetian composer's Four Seasons concerts, here performed by the Fondazione Arena Orchestra conducted by violin soloist Giovanni Andrea Zanon, an enfant prodige who has always been linked to the Veronese Amphitheatre. The performance, with innovative technology, also includes the concert Tempesta di mare, for a total duration of about 75 minutes without intermission. 

AIDA. On Thursday 29 August, at 9.00 p.m., opera returns to the Arena with the Ancient Egypt imagined by Verdi for the symbolic title of the Amphitheatre, in the staging curated by Gianfranco de Boso, whose centenary year falls. A historic edition that evokes the magic of the first night of opera in the Arena in 1913 and which lives again thanks to great international performers. Protagonist for one evening only is soprano Anna Pirozzi, alongside Gregory Kunde's Radames and Ekaterina Semenchuk's rival Amneris. Exceptional Amonasro is Ludovid Tézier, with basses Alexander Vinogradov (high priest Ramfis) and Riccardo Fassi (King of the Egyptians). The cast is completed by Francesca Maionchi (priestess) and Riccardo Rados (messenger). With the artistic and technical ensembles of the Fondazione Arena conducted by Daniel Oren, the ballet features original choreography by Susanna Egri with three international dance stars as soloists: Eleana Andreoudi, Gioacchino Starace and Denys Cherevychko. Last performance: 5 September.

TOSCA. On Friday 30 August, at 9 p.m., the last Tosca is staged, with a star-studded cast. Elena Stikhina is the 19th-century Roman diva Floria Tosca, Jonas Kaufmann is the beloved painter and revolutionary Mario Cavaradossi, and Ludovic Tézier takes on the role of Baron Scarpia, the police chief. In the flanking roles other important performers: Gabriele Sagona is Angelotti, Giulio Mastrototaro the Sacristan, Carlo Bosi is Spoletta, Nicolò Ceriani Sciarrone, Carlo Striuli the carcerire and the very young Erika Zaha the shepherd boy. Maestro Daniel Oren conducts, in the same title with which he debuted in the Arena 40 years ago: Puccini's masterpiece is staged in the elegant production of Argentine director, set and costume designer Hugo De Ana, with imposing special effects, looming symbols, period costumes and the fast pace of a film noir. 

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE. On Saturday 31 August, at 9 p.m., the penultimate performance for the most classic of comic operas: baritone Davide Luciano's brilliant barber and factotum Figaro leads the new cast in the iconic Italian garden with big red roses designed by Hugo De Ana for the Verona amphitheatre. The Conte di Almaviva will be played by the young American tenor Jack Swanson, Bartolo, the gruff tutor, by Carlo Lepore and Basilio, the music master, by Alexander Vinogradov. The beautiful Rosina whom the Count must conquer will be played by Ekaterine Buachidze, a young Georgian mezzo-soprano making her Arena debut. Marianna Mappa, Nicolò Ceriani and Domenico Apollonio complete the cast. The Arena Foundation Orchestra, the Men's Choir and the Arena Ballet are conducted by George Petrou, who accompanies the sparkling recitatives of Rossini's comedy on the harpsichord. Last performance: 6 September. 

CARMINA BURANA. On Sunday 1 September, at 9.30 pm, there are still a few seats left for the famous medieval cantiones profanae recreated by Carl Orff. The three soloists Gilda Fiume, Filippo Mineccia and Youngjun Park will sing of love, goliardia, fortune with a large ensemble including the Orchestra and Choir of the Fondazione Arena in full ranks, the two children's choirs A.LI.VE. and A.d'A.Mus., under the baton of the young Michele Spotti, the maestro who inaugurated the Festival with Turandot broadcast by Rai Cultura.  

The Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2024, with 50 evenings of performances until 7 September, is supported by numerous sponsors, first and foremost UniCredit, which boasts a longevity of more than 25 years of collaboration, and then Calzedonia, Pastificio Rana, Volkswagen Group Italia, DB Bahn, Forno Bonomi, RTL 102.5, Genny, who signs the uniforms of the staff in charge of welcoming the public, and Müller, who supports accessibility projects dedicated to people with disabilities. Official partners include historic brands such as Veronafiere, Air Dolomiti, A4 Holding, Metinvest, SABA Italia, SDG Group, Sartori di Verona, Palazzo Maffei and Mantova Village. New supporters include Poste Italiane, ManPower Group and Consorzio di Tutela dell'Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP. As well as companies, private individuals and professional associations that make up the ranks of the Membership 67 Columns for the Arena di Verona, founded by Gianluca Rana of the pasta factory of the same name and Sandro Veronesi, patron of the Oniverse Group, with the Gruppo Editoriale Athesis as media partner.