MUSCAT – The Royal Opera House Muscat has unveiled details of its season 2024/2025, a season of highlights and exciting moments, with world-class performances for everyone to enjoy.
The season is built from a significant variety, featuring more than 50 performances in the main programming, offering no less than 5 operas, 9 Arab music concerts, 7 classical concerts, 4 family shows, 3 world music concerts, 1 extraordinary ballet, and a dazzling jazz concert.
Leading Arab and Western artists will grace the stage in a season packed with amazing productions running from October 2024 to the end of May 2025.
Un Ballo in Maschera begins the season in Giuseppe Verdi’s much-loved style. Joining the opera for the first time in Oman is The National Centre for Performing Arts Beijing (NCPA), with this Verdi masterpiece. This opera promises a stellar lineup with Elena Stikhina, Piotr Bezcala, Liao Chaoyong, and Agnieszka Rehlis, staged by the world-renowned Hugo de Ana with Orchestra Teatro Lirico di Cagliari and NCPA Chorus conducted by Giampaolo Bisanti (October 3 and 5).
One of the most exquisite stories in opera, La Fille du Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti, follows this masterpiece, packed with infectious melodies and fizzing wit, making it a delightful treat to watch. Staged by Jean-Louis Grinda in an Opera Monte Carlo production, the opera welcomes another exceptional lineup of artists including Jessica Pratt, Antonio Siragusa, Veronica Simeoni, and Omar Montanari with the Arcangelo Corelli Orchestra and Opera Monte Carlo Chorus conducted by Antonello Allemandi (December 5 and 7).
The opera continues the season with Simon Boccanegra, by Giuseppe Verdi, performed by the Mariinsky Orchestra and Chorus with the globally renowned Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev as conductor (January 23 and 25).
Younger audiences will be captivated by Michele Dall’Ongaro’s family opera, the timeless epic, Robin Hood, which will be performed by the Petruzzelli Theatre Foundation of Bari conducted by Pietro Maniti based on a libretto by Vincenzo De Vivo (April 18 and 19).
The final opera will be the return of the successful ROHM’s production La Traviata staged by Marta Domingo (May 1 and 3). Performed by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova conducted by the legendary Plácido Domingo, this remarkable production first premiered in 2019 and will feature leading opera stars including Yusif Eyvazov and Juliana Grigoryan in her debut as Violetta. This stunning opera is enriched by the Compañia Antonio Gades, adding a rich dimension in flamenco dance choreography to the drama.
Programming of Arab Music throughout the season gathers stars and legends in concerts that warm the soul and reconnect with history and tradition. The annual Omani Women’s Day concert celebrates an incredible lineup of female musicians, including Al Nour wal Amal Orchestra, the only blind all-female orchestra playing classical music, Nour Ayadi, and ROSO Ladies’ Ensemble alongside Majida El Roumi (October 17).
A scattering of diamonds lights up the season in solo concerts with Arab superstars, Majida El Roumi (18th and 19th October), Ahlam (November 14), with Ragheb Alama closing our season (May 23 and 24).
Enjoy an incredible first for ROHM, as Ahlam is invited to perform her concert in the open air of the maidan, ensuring unprecedented access for a wider audience. The opera revisits legends in a special festival celebrating Mohamed Abdul Wahab’s place as one of the greatest musicians in Arab music history (February 15 and 20). The audience would enjoy a series of events and exhibitions, combined with two unique concerts to pay homage to his life and work (January 15 to February 27).
The annual respectful Ramadhan series will take place in the holy month, with three different Omani groups performing each evening alongside visiting musicians from the region, lending their voices to the special moments of reflection (March 13, 20 and 24). A unique concert opens traditional Yemeni music to symphonic orchestra arrangements in Traditional Symphonies – A Journey through Yemeni Music conducted by Mohamed AlGhoom (April 24 – 25).
The first orchestral concert of the season, A Musical Night from China, features the exceptional participation of Soloists and the Choir of NCPA Beijing, including the celebrated baritone Liao Changyong accompanied by Orchestra Teatro Lirico di Cagliari and conducted by NCPA’s Artistic Director of Music and Music Director of the NCPA Orchestra Lü Jia (4th October). With a unique programme from the traditional Chinese repertoire, this concert will feature a rare performance of the Pipa concerto from Zhao Jiping played by Zhang Hongyan.
To add to this exceptional lineup, Erwin Schrott, performs A Romantic Evening of Music with the St Petersburg Northern Symphonia Orchestra of the F.I. Chaliapin St Petersburg State Music Theatre conducted by Fabio Mastrangelo (December 31). This special New Year’s Eve concert promises a classical operatic repertoire with Erwin Schrott performing in the first half from a programme of famous arias with a second half presenting the much-loved music of Johann Strauss, magical waltzes, and all.
Complementing Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, the opera house brings a beautiful programme performed by singers, choir, and orchestra of Mariinksy Opera in Opera Masterpieces (January 24). This season will also bring back the annual Pipe Organ Concert, featuring the magnificent ROHM pipe organ front and centre, with the participation of the organist Claudio Astronio, performed by the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gianluca Marciano (February 13).
The final classical Gala Symphony Concert brings extraordinary award-winning artists onto the stage of the Royal Opera House of Musical Arts with the great Plácido Domingo conducting the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra (May 2).
Launching this season, ROHM is proud to collaborate with La Salle Gaveau to present The Piano Duel, an exciting play-off by two recent winners of the piano category of the world-famous Monte Carlo Music Masters Competition, also known as the Prix de Ranier III, a prestigious title conferred under the High Patronage of S.A.S. Le Prince Sovereign of Monaco. Aristo Sham (2023 Grand Prix) and Nikolai Kuznetsov (2021 Grand Prix) will battle on stage again, performing from the piano and orchestra repertoire under the baton of Alessandro Cadario joined by the Arcangelo Corelli Orchestra. The audience will be invited to take part in nominating the best pianist of the evening. (December 6).
Audiences of all generations can delight in magical children’s classics such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, as the fiction is brought to extraordinary life on a giant screen with the soundtrack played by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Justin Freer (April 10 – 11).
Fikret Amirov’s ballet, One Thousand and One Nights comes alive under the direction of one of the most prestigious and recognized companies in the world, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Ballet in Vladivostok. The music inspired by Fikret Amirov’s tours of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and India, shows the efforts of the composer in capturing Arabic culture of music and sense of rhythm within the ballet. From its first night in 1979, this ballet was a triumph, described as truly expressing the poetry of the ancient tales in sounds, movements, and pictures (February 6-7).
In a world premiere commissioned by the Royal Opera House Muscat, the Compañia Flamenca Antonio Andrade brings its brand-new production Memories of Alhambra to the stage with this fusion of Arabic Music and Flamenco (8th and 9th May). This new show promises to bring together Arab heritage of Flamenco from its original home in Andalucia where it developed Iberian, Gipsy, Arabian, and Berber influence within the classical genre of dance.
The opera house is proud to welcome the suited, charismatic, and musically brilliant jazz singer and pianist Anthony Strong for the first time to Oman for an exceptional concert featuring the songs from his latest album. Feel the soul-stirring charm and inspiration of the ‘English Gentleman’ performing with the brilliant Latvian Radio Big Band for a joyful repertoire featuring legends such as Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and James Taylor as well as stunning originals (November 28-29).
With special pride for the ROHM vision for cultural enrichment and global breadth in programming, the opera house has added two artists at the top of their field in a national genre. Nishat Khan takes the meaning of musicality to a whole new level with the sitar in a two-part concert with the European Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Walter Proost, the best musician of Indian classical music bar none in the world today (30th and 31st October). Cristina Branco will fill the auditorium with the soulful passion of Portuguese fado, hitting notes and emotions that will stir audiences very deeply (November 5).
The opera house strives to present a full and varied programme for every audience member to enjoy. Joining this world-class season is a captivating choice of family-friendly shows defining this as a year of stories and fairy tales. Beauty and the Beast on Ice will be presented spectacularly as ROHM welcomes Olympic award-winning ice skaters telling this tale as never before, with contortionists, German wheel acts, fire breathers, aerial acrobatics, and more (January 2-4).
Other spectacular shows joining this season include the world premiere of ‘Sword of Wisdom’ Acrobatic Show an awe-inspiring performance of the extraordinary U-Theatre ensemble with drumming, martial arts, acrobatic excellence, and dynamic percussion theatre (December 19-20).
Locals and tourists will also be able to rejoice in the popular annual Military Music: Oman and the World outdoor show, with guest participation from Austria and Jordan this season (November 7-9).
A welcome return to the programming is the Folk Music Festival, this year inviting the wonderful countries of Bulgaria, South Korea, and Paraguay to join Omani folk musicians in a glorious presentation of heritage and cultural traditions (January 16-17).
The 2024/25 calendar of educational activities will include two Open House days designed for local enthusiasts to discover the Royal Opera House Muscat uniquely. The first Open House event will focus on the World of Fairy Tales (December 21) with a full day of activities inspired by fabled stories of childhood, designed for families and children. The second Open House, Join Us! will showcase the different professions of the theatre with staff hosting workshops on make-up, costumes, props, sound, photography, storytelling, and design (February 1).
Special Projects (in April and May) around specific shows will also be presented, including Harry Potter: A World of Magic, La Traviata Project, Welcome to Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood! and Paganini for Everyone focused on Nicolo’ Paganini’s role on the history of the violin and music itself.
Several masterclasses with leading artists including Ambassador of Song Thomas Hampson, renowned conductor Fabio Mastrangelo, soprano Joyce El Khoury, world-class musicians Simon Zhu and Gile Bae, and organist ClaudioAstronio will also be offered to music students based in Oman.
This year, ROHM is also launching a new educational activity Let’s Read to complement a season full of fairy tales, featuring monthly reading groups for children, young adults, and families. In an exciting collaboration with Elisabetta Dami, we welcome the author and her internationally adored creation Geronimo Stilton for a theatrical presentation of stories (6th November).
ROHM will offer local schools exclusive morning performances of the Robin Hood family opera (April 15-17), giving both local Arabic and international schools a unique opportunity to enjoy this captivating production. Finally, this year’s Summer Camp will feature two amazing weeks inspired by the world of Superheroes during which children will be introduced to music, theatre, dance art, and technology.
The outreach programme will include established activities that run throughout the season including Lunch Music in the Opera Galleria; Coffee and Dates, exclusive talks with the artists; Opera Talks with our musicologist in the music library; the Absolute Music Series, and Movie Nights.
In this season’s Absolute Music Series, ROHM welcomes the soprano Joyce El Khouri accompanied by pianist Serouj Kradjian and a Lebanese ensemble for a unique concert entitled Scheherazade (October 21).
ROHM is launching Emerging Talents, a three-concert format with young winners of international competitions performing in Muscat. This new concert series will present internationally recognized artists including ‘Ambassador of Song’, Thomas Hampson, accompanied by the Muscat Philharmonic Orchestra and Omani Opera Choir Group, conducted by Lubnan Balbaaki (February 9), pianists Aristo Sham and Nikolai Kuznetsov (December 6) from the Monte Carlo Music Masters and violinist Simon Zhu and pianist Gile Bae (February 24) from the Paganini Prize.
Following the launch of its Open Doors initiative in 2024, exporting scheduled productions outside the walls of ROHM, the opera house will continue to offer special performances for specific institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes in Muscat, with this year, the introduction of sign language across all educational activities to create more inclusivity.
Season 2024 – 2025 is richly sewn with the seeds of a truly magical season: international names of great note, popular shows, operas to feed the mind and soul, beloved Arab artists, and enough choice to inspire the love of music across all generations.
(ONA)
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