Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539398
5 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 5 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS World-class soprano Monastyrska to headline opera cast for La Forza del Destino at the Aurora in Gozo WORLD-CLASS soprano, Liud- myla Monastyrska is set to head- line the massive cast of Giuseppe Verdi's operatic masterpiece La Forza del Destino – the opening night of opera-in-Gozo, set to take place at the Aurora Opera House on Saturday 11th Octo- ber 2025. This was announced by the Aurora production team as the islands' largest opera house heads into the final pro- duction month. Born in Ukraine, Monas- tyrska's fame has been taking her to the world's most egre- gious opera stages, such as New York's MetOpera where she performed the title role in Tosca and Turandot, Mu- nich, Verona Arena, Naples' San Carlo, the Royal Opera in London's Covent Garden, and of course, Milan's La Scala. She will appear alongside another A-rated opera star, tenor Ste- fano Secco, in the role of Don Alvaro. He has graced the stag- es of Teatro alla Scala, Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Vienna State Opera, and more. His in- ternational reputation brings credibility and a loyal fanbase of opera aficionados who know their tenors. The main trio is completed with Dimitris Tiliakos who re- turns to the Aurora after a very successful Nabucco which lo- cal opera audiences are sure to remember. The cast list continues with the Italian mezzo Cristina Me- lis as the incendiary Preziosilla and Fabio Capitanucci as Fra Melitone. Francesco Napoleo- ni returns as Mastro Trabuco (after last year's double role as Il Tinca in Il Tabarro and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi). Securing Monastyrska and her counterparts has not been an easy task, but it signals the Aurora's commitment to con- sistently taking the level of opera-in-Gozo, indeed opera the Aurora, one or two notch- es up at a time. Indeed, being the complex and expansive op- era that it is – requiring no less than 10 leading roles and a vo- luminous chorus – La Forza is not quite the most performed operas for a reason that doesn't have to do with its musical beauty, and putting together a creditable cast for it can be quite challenging, not to men- tion costly. But the Aurora's not trying to pull this one off with just the cast. It's an never-ending quest to give the audience something new, something fresh, some- thing not quite seen before, but credible, respectful to the plot and, above all, aesthetically beautiful. In this, stage director Riccardo Buscarini has proved himself twice on end, with Madama Butterfly (2023) and Il Trittico (2024). This time round, he has teamed up with Mara Pieri for costumes, and Giammaria Farina – an Ital- ian architect and set designer whose portfolio includes mas- sive outdoor stages and indoor opera sets for the big guns. His active collaborations with Da- vid Livermore and the biggest Italian opera houses, bring a wealth of experience and the assurances of a top- notch spectacle for which the Aurora has grown to be re- nowned. As ever, Colin Attard, at the helm of the Malta Philharmon- ic Orchestra and the Aurora Opera Chorus binds all these elements together and trans- lates them into the one lavish opera-night no one should miss. Tickets are now out on sale at €90, €75 and €55, with a limited number of premium boxes available for €500-for- 4-seats, including champagne and butler service; vin d'hon- neur tokens for an intermis- sion wine-and-canapes recep- tion are being sold at €35; all from www.teatruaurora.com or +356 79045779. La Forza del Destino is be- ing supported by Arts Council Malta in collaboration with the Ministry for Gozo through the Investment in Cultural Or- ganisations Gozo programme, with the generous sponsor- ship of Bank of Valletta Top: Cristina Melis, Stefano Secco and Liudmyla Moanastyrska. Left: Dimitris Tiliakos Gozo Regional Council receives donation of books by Joe Friggieri THE Gozo Regional Council host- ed a cultural evening on Tuesday at the historic Xewkija Windmill, featuring renowned Maltese au- thor and academic Professor Joe Friggieri. The event, which began at 6.30pm., included literary read- ings, reflections, and a significant donation of books to Gozo's local councils. During the evening, Friggieri promoted two of his latest publi- cations and announced the dona- tion of five previously published works—comprising short stories and poetry—to be distributed among libraries across Gozo. The initiative aims to increase public access to Maltese literature and strengthen cultural engagement on the island. The event was attended by rep- resentatives from local councils, cultural organisations, and mem- bers of the public, who gathered to celebrate the contributions of one of Malta's leading literary fig- ures. A musical interlude comple- mented the programme, creating an immersive literary atmosphere. In his address, Friggieri ex- pressed gratitude to his pub- lishers, attendees, and Dr Sam- uel Azzopardi, President of the Gozo Regional Council, for their support. Dr Azzopardi, in turn, thanked Friggieri for his generos- ity and praised the collaborative effort of the local councils, stating that "literature is everything to- day." The Gozo Regional Council de- scribed the event as a reaffirma- tion of its commitment to pro- moting literature, education, and community engagement. It ex- tended its thanks to all contribu- tors who helped make the evening a success. Professor Joe Friggieri promoted two of his latest publications and announced the donation of five previously published works