Verona, June 7, 2024
Italy is preparing to celebrate an important milestone for its cultural heritage: the Practice of Opera Singing was inscribed in December 2023 on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To celebrate this prestigious recognition, the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Arena di Verona Foundation and RAI, has organized an extraordinary event: the concert “The Great Italian Opera Heritage of Humanity,” which will take place on Friday, June 7, at the Arena di Verona.
The event will bring together on the same stage some of the most renowned international interpreters of Opera, accompanied by a majestic orchestra of 160 musicians and a chorus composed of 300 artists from Italian opera-symphonic foundations. Conducting this impressive formation in the first part of the evening will be Maestro Riccardo Muti, a prominent figure in the world music scene.
The program includes a journey through the most famous pages of Italian operatic production, offering the audience a unique and unforgettable experience. To further enrich the evening, there will be a dance performance featuring stars Roberto Bolle and Nicoletta Manni. Introducing and guiding the audience on this journey through the Opera heritage will be three different narrators: Alberto Angela, Cristiana Capotondi, and Luca Zingaretti. The three will present the show moving behind the scenes of the monumental set of the Arena di Verona, an architectural gem from the Roman era that has been hosting opera performances since 1923 during the summer.
The Heads of Foreign Diplomatic Representations accredited to the Quirinal Palace and delegates from the Member States of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee have been invited to the evening. Their presence underscores the international importance of the event and the message that lyric singing, one of the most recognized expressions of Italian culture, is now the common heritage of humanity.
The concert will be broadcast live worldwide on Rai 1 starting at 8:35 PM on June 7, allowing millions of viewers around the world to participate in this extraordinary celebration of Italian art and culture.
