Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida will open and close the 47th May Opera Evenings. The official opening is scheduled for Thursday evening with a premiere of this grand opera, this time in the production of Genoa’s Teatro Carlo Felice.

This edition of Aida is a blend of visual innovation and tradition, virtual scenography to lead the audience in the world of ancient Egypt, the National Opera and Ballet said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Artistic Director of the Opera Bisera Chadlovska said this was a new, futuristic version of Aida, which would also feature 3D screenings.

Conductor Enrico Dovico said he was very happy with the Orchestra of the National Opera and Ballet, as they’ve been following him perfectly and with great discipline. He highlighted that the performance was a mix of traditional and modern, and the greatest challenge was to coordinate the music with the screenings, i.e. adjust them to the rhythm.

Alongside the two performances of Aida, on May 9 and May 31, the festival program includes two more operas by Verdi – Rigoletto on May 18 and La Traviata on May 28, as well as Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (May 15), Puccini’s La Bohème (May 22), and Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake on May 12.

The accompanying off-program of the festival will feature an exhibition dedicated to the eminent Ana Lipsha Tofovikj (1926-2012), who is among the founders of the Macedonian opera scene, and was part of the first-ever performance of Aida in the country, 65 years ago.

Gaetano Donizetti’s Ana Bolena will be performed on May 20 at the plateau in front of the National Opera and Ballet by the Vienna State Opera to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding.