‘Travel To Italy’ For An Evening Of Bel Canto Opera

Phoenix Sister Cities and the Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini of Catania, Italy will present performances of Vincenzo Bellini and other arias of Italian operatic composers 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St.

The program will showcase three soloists featured regularly with the Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini, accompanied by 20 musicians from the theatre and the Phoenix area.  Teatro Massimo Bellini is one of 14 opera companies in Italy.

One of the soloists is Dimitra Theodossiou, a Greek soprano well-known for her interpretation of Verdi.  She will be joined by Nidia Palacios, an Italian mezzo-soprano and Giorgio Casciarri, an Italian tenor.

Tickets range from $25 to $85 for general admission.  To buy tickets, call ticketmaster at (480) 784-4444, visit ticketmaster.com. or call the Phoenix Convention Center at (602) 262-7272. 

Premium tickets are $250 and can only be purchased by contacting Phoenix Sister Cities at (602) 534-3751.  These tickets include invitations to attend two receptions with the performers and a unique opportunity to attend a master class for ASU lyric opera students.

Phoenix’s sister cities include Calgary, Canada; Catania, Italy; Chengdu, China; Ennis, Ireland; Grenoble, France; Hermosillo, Mexico; Himeji, Japan; Prague, Czech Republic; Ramat-Gan, Israel, and Taipei, Taiwan.

For more information, call (602) 534-3751 or visit phoenixsistercities.org.

Editor’s Note: From time to time it is our pleasure to publicize events of the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission. And, with the recent passing of the great maestro Luciano Pavarotti, this performance seems particularly timely and supportive of the worthwhile goals of PSCC: bringing the people of the world a little closer together.