Verdi’s Opera Gala

Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra

Conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti featuring Maria Agresta and Giorgio Berrugi

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Overview

In honour of the 125th anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi’s passing, this magnificent Opera Gala brings together the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra under the masterful direction of Giacomo Sagripanti, with celebrated soprano Maria Agresta and distinguished tenor Giorgio Berrugi. The programme journeys through Verdi’s most iconic works, from the grandeur of Nabucco and I Vespri Siciliani to the passion of Otello and La Traviata. Intertwining powerful overtures, arias and duets, the concert pays tribute to Verdi’s enduring legacy, his boundless lyricism, dramatic intensity and profound humanity. An unforgettable evening honouring the timeless brilliance of Italy’s greatest operatic master.

Programme

Nabucco – Sinfonia
Rigoletto – Questa o quella  
Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio – Tutto ho perduto… Sciagurata a questo lido… Cela il foglio La traviata – Duet: Parigi, o cara!
Luisa Miller – Overture
Simon Boccanegra – Come in quest’ora bruna  
Luisa Miller – Quando le sere al placido  
Otello – Duet: Già nella notte densa
I vespri siciliani – Overture
Simon Boccanegra – “Oh inferno! Cielo pietoso!
Otello – Mi parea… Salce, salce… Ave Maria
Un ballo in maschera – Duet: “Teco io sto

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Artists

Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO)

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) is a pioneering cultural institution that proudly represents Qatar on the world stage. Founded in 2007 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the orchestra brings together 78 world class musicians from 28 countries, many of whom have performed with the world’s leading ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Frankfurt Opera, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Tonhalle Zürich, Teatro Colón and NDR Radiophilharmonie.

Known for its innovative programming and unique sound, QPO blends Western symphonic traditions with the rich musical heritage of the Arab world, creating performances that are globally resonant and deeply rooted in the region’s cultural legacy.

With more than 500 performances to date, QPO has graced prestigious stages around the world, including La Scala (Milan), Konzerthaus Wien (Vienna), Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Paris), Santa Cecilia (Rome), the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) and the Royal Albert Hall (London).

QPO is a source of national pride and a symbol of Qatar’s commitment to cultural excellence. Driven by a mission to make music accessible to all, QPO continues to break barriers, inspire new generations and lead the way in shaping a vibrant musical future for Qatar and the region.

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Giacomo Sagripanti, Conductor

The Music Director of Tbilisi State Opera, Sagripanti is considered one of the most interesting conductors of his generation. In 2016, he was voted Best Young Conductor at the International Opera Awards.  

He began his conducting career in Italy and Germany with debuts at the Festival della Valle d’Itria, Associazione Lirica e Concertistica Italiana and the Lübeck Theatre. He soon caught the attention of houses throughout Europe and conducted La Cenerentola at the Semperoper in Dresden, Madama Butterfly at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, L’elisir d’amore at the Opernhaus Zürich, Werther at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, La traviata and Don Pasquale at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

He is a busy symphonic conductor, making regular guest appearances with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI Turin, Orquesta Sinfonica des Iles Balears, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, Orchestra Haydn Bolzano, the St Petersburg Philharmonic and many others.  

Sagripanti conducts at the major opera houses, including Il barbiere di Siviglia, La travaita, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, La Cenerentola, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, L’elisir d’amore (Opéra de Paris); La traviata, Tosca, Anna Bolena, Werther, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola (Wiener Staatsoper); La Cenerentola, La Favorite (Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich); Un ballo in maschera, Don Carlo, Tosca (Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow); Tosca, Il viaggio a Reims, Lucia di Lammermoor (Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona); La Cenerentola (Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville); I puritani (Teatro di San Carlo, Naples); Turandot (Hamburgische Staatsoper); Moïse et Pharaon (Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro). Recent and forthcoming engagements include Don Pasquale (Wiener Staatsoper); Il barbiere di Siviglia (Metropolitan Opera, New York debut); La Cenerentola (Liceu); Il trovatore (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden) and many symphonic concerts in Spain, France, Georgia, Italy and the USA.  

Maria Agresta, Soprano

Winner of several music competitions, the soprano Maria Agresta made her professional debut in 2007. Notable success came after a few years, in 2011, when she performed I vespri siciliani at the Teatro Regio in Turin conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, to great acclaim from the public and critics. Since then, she has been invited to sing on the most important stages worldwide.

Highlights include the title role in Norma (Tel Aviv); Mimì in La Bohème (Arena di Verona, Munich, the San Carlo in Naples, Teatro Regio in Turin and at the Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago); the title role of Gemma di Vergy at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo; Elvira in Don Giovanni and Mimì at La Scala, Milan; Leonora in Il trovatore (Valencia); Violetta in La traviata (Berlin Staatsoper).  

Numerous other opera performances have included the role of Maria in Simon Boccanegra in Rome conducted by Riccardo Muti and in Dresden conducted by Christian Thielemann; Verdi’s Requiem at the San Carlo in Naples conducted by Nicola Luisotti, at the Staatsoper Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim and at La Scala conducted by Zubin Mehta; Desdemona in Otello in Valencia conducted by Zubin Mehta; Lucrezia in I due Foscari at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden conducted by Antonio Pappano; Turandot at La Scala conducted by Riccardo Chailly. She has sung Elisabetta in Don Carlo at the Teatro Real Madrid and the Teatro La Fenice, Venice; Tosca at the Opéra de Paris; Madama Butterfly at Covent Garden; Adriana Lecouvreur at La Scala; Maddalena di Coigny in Adriana Lecouvreur at the Wiener Staatsoper; Turandot at the Lyric Opera, Chicago; Mimì in La Bohème and Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.  

Agresta won the Franco Abbiati prize in 2014 and the international Luigi Illica prize.

Giorgio Berrugi, Tenor

Nominated by Plácido Domingo as one of his heirs, Giorgio Berrugi is recognised as one of today’s most distinguished Italian tenors, admired for his warm tone, refined musicality and expressive artistry.

He has performed at leading venues worldwide, including Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House in London, Lincoln Center in New York, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Opéra de Paris, Deutsche Oper Berlin, San Francisco Opera, Arena di Verona and Teatro Regio Torino, collaborating with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Christian Thielemann, Fabio Luisi, Andris Nelsons and Gustavo Dudamel.

Recent highlights include Remigio da Varagine in the world première of Filidei’s Il nome della rosa at La Scala, Siegmund in Die Walküre at the Vienna State Opera, and leading roles in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Fedora across Europe.

A former principal clarinettist of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Berrugi began singing in 2007 and soon made his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème at Teatro La Fenice.