Young musicians and opera singers from Italy celebrated the country’s renowned musical heritage in a spectacular performance to mark the country’s Expo 2020 national day on Wednesday.
The orchestra of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala was led by one of Italy’s acclaimed conductors Donato Renzetti at the Millennium amphitheatre at the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Young and diverse talents from the institution, also called the La Scala Academy, were selected to perform before an audience that included senior officials.
Italy celebrated its national day with visits from Luigi Di Maio, the country's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation and several business meetings in its pavilion at Expo.
Expo 2020 Dubai has drawn people from around the world, with more than 4.1 million visits registered since the opening in October.
The Italian concert pulled together excerpts from the greatest Italian operas.
The average age of the musicians is 20 and they come from varied backgrounds in Italy and overseas.
Performing arias and ensemble pieces steeped in the Italian lyric tradition were Italian soprano Clarissa Costanzo, tenor Azer Zada from Azerbaijan, baritone Ettore Chi Hoon Lee and violinist Da Won Ghang both from South Korea.
The young musicians have already established a name for themselves and delivered performances in operatic repertoire across the world.
Leading young people from the academy was a homecoming for Mr Renzetti, who began his career as a percussionist at La Scala when he was a teenager.
“Working with young people is a joy for me and provides me with satisfaction that money can’t buy,” he said.
“Meeting the young people from the Accademia Teatro alla Scala was an intense moment. The quality of the work we have been doing together in the last few days fills me with confidence for the future.”
The young artistes are regarded as ambassadors to promote music and culture across the world including at the Expo in Dubai.
The Bracco Foundation that supports the academy with scholarships and training placements said it was keen to bring the musicians to the world’s fair.
“We decided to bring La Scala orchestra to Expo 2020 Dubai to put these young talents up on a prestigious international stage,” said Diana Bracco, president of the Bracco Foundation.
Support for the arts was key as the foundation saw “the value of culture as an educational tool that can improve quality of life and strengthen social cohesion.”
The Expo will run until the end of March in Dubai with daily events, cultural shows, conferences and musical events.
