A scintillating and engaging season awaits opera lovers at the Royal Opera House Muscat this season. Umberto Fanni, Director General of Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) unveiled the performances and shows for 2023/24 that are nothing less than extraordinary, at a press meet.
The new season, titled Stars, Legends, Dreams, begins on September 29 and runs till May 11, 2024, featuring 27 shows. This includes four popular operas, eight exhilarating Arab music concerts and shows, four classical concerts, two extraordinary ballets, one jazz evening, two world music stars, and six spectacular shows.
The season opens with the renowned and popular opera, Barber of Seville. The opera contains possibly the most famous aria in the world (Largo al factotum), known by its distinctive repetition and long drawn-out final ‘o’ in Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figarooooo.
This production from Teatro de la Maestranza engages stellar opera singers from the opera stages of today, providing passion and energy with world-class vocal skills and powerful artistic expression. The exemplary cast includes Antonino Siragusa as Conte d’Almaviva, Maria Kataeva as Rosina, Carlo Lepore as Dr. Bartolo, Nicola Ulivieri as Don Basilio, and Vito Priante as Figaro. Joining in the production is the Omani Choir Group.
The exquisite line-up of performances this season offers a huge variety of musical performances to inspire different generations and interest from a broad spectrum of audiences. The varied schedule includes classical music, opera, ballet, special acrobatic ballet, jazz, Arabic stars, Arabic music folk and world music, creative shows, and educational events for children and adults.
Ganni shared that while bringing rich, world-class productions to ROHM is one of the objectives, educating young Omani students on the arts is among the institution’s primary aims. “We are looking forward to collaborating with Omani educational institutions to educate and engage with the students,” he said.
Among the other objectives of the ROHM are:
- To showcase rich and diverse artistic creations for the nation, the region, and the world
- To provide a space for cultural and socioeconomic reflections that can enhance domestic and international development
- To inspire audiences and nurture creativity with innovative programmes
- To foster cultural vitality and to unleash talent
- To sustain livelihoods through the arts and cultural tourism
- To promote cultural diplomacy through global and multi-disciplinary collaborations and exchanges
To view the new season schedule, log onto https://rohmuscat.org.om/en/Pages/default.aspx or download the new ROHM app.