In June 2011, under the star-strewn sky, in the infinite silence of the desert, Aida, the monumental opera by Verdi, will be performed at the foot of Masada. Conductor Daniel Oren will once again enthrall an audience of thousands with a powerful and extraordinary musical experience during the Masada Opera Festival, being held for the second consecutive year.
Last year the festival saw the performance of Verdi’s Nabucco, which followed the history of the Jewish people in exile in Babylon, as they sang of their yearnings for the land of Israel against the backdrop of Masada. Following last year’s amazing success, this year the illuminated Mount Masada will serve as a spectacular setting for the love story between the Egyptian officer Radames and the Ethiopian princess Aida, which incurs the wrath of Amneris, the Egyptian princess in love with Radames.
Even if you’re not a dyed-in-the-wool opera fan, you can still sense the powerful connection between the magical vistas of Masada and the Dead Sea and the divine music played during the festival.
In addition to the six Aida performances, this year we’ll also have a special gala concert, in which world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform both operatic arias and light music. In addition, for the first time ever, the orchestra and soloists of Arena di Verona, the world-famous open-air opera festival, will come to Israel. The Arena di Verona orchestra, conducted by Giuliano Carella, will perform Verdi’s Requiem at the foot of Masada.
Over 50,000 visitors are expected at this year’s events. The festival grounds include 7,500 seats, huge video displays, and special lighting and sound systems particularly suited to the site.
This year the Dead Sea is competing against 27 other sites across the globe in the New7Wonders of Nature competition, and is considered a front-runner. The Masada Opera Festival highlights the site’s uniqueness, especially among the music lovers coming to it from all around the world.
