80° Banda Musicale Giuseppe Verdi

Praised by Bloomberg for having “mastered the role” and “acting her socks off,” Angela Gheorghiu leads an all-star cast which includes Ramón Vargas and Roberto Frontali, with the brilliant conductor Lorin Maazel on the podium. Angela Gheorghiu is the definitive Violetta of her generation, the standard-setter against whom all other exponents of this role must be judged for the foreseeable future. Her affinity for Verdi‘s fragile, gentle-hearted courtesan is rooted in a fine balance of acting and singing skills. Giuseppe Verdi´s immortal opera in a sumptuous production by Liliana Cavani, with world famous singers – a treat for viewers everywhere!

The highlight of the 2013 Salzburg Festival in Giuseppe Verdi’s bicentennial year, Don Carlo is conducted by Antonio Pappano and stars Jonas Kaufmann in the title role. “With Antonio Pappano in the pit, Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros brought to their interpretations of the leading role rapturous arcs of phrasing and tone that we have not heard for a generation. Verdi's music can weather mediocrity and still provide audiences with enjoyment … but here he was truly honoured as he would have wished.” (The Telegraph)

Belgian soprano Iris Hendrickx has a great love of the major French operatic literature, and it shows in these warm, passionate performances. Recorded live in Milan, the performances are aided by one of the finest Italian orchestras and conductor Patrick Fournillier, who is a specialist in this French operatic literature. Iris has sung in opera houses and concert halls all over the world including Opera Vlaanderen, Opéra de Lille, Opéra de Wallonie, Opéra Bergen, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Pollack Concert Hall Montreal and Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels. Acclaimed as a versatile lyric soprano she has been invited by numerous International Festivals such as Ottawa International Chamber Festival, KLARA Festival, Rotterdamse Operadagen, Bergen International Festival, Festival International du Domaine Forget and The Musimars Festival Montreal. Iris has been an award and scholarship winning member of The International Vocal Arts Institute Montreal, OperaWorks Los Angeles and The Meditteranean Opera Studio singing the roles of Violetta (La Traviata), Mimi (La Bohème) and Laititia (The old maid and the Thief).