The most beautiful excerpts of Italian opera are presented by Fabio Sartori, special guest start of the Tenorissimo festive opera gala. The renowned tenor is partnered by leading soloists of the Hungarian State Opera: Zsuzsanna Ádám, Csilla Boross, Gabriella Létay Kiss, Orsolya Sáfár, and Andrea Szántó. The performance organised at 20:00 on 19 August 2022 at the Opera House also features the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of general music director Balázs Kocsár.
Pieces by Verdi, Puccini, and verismo composers feature in the first gala performance by Fabio Sartori in Hungary. The Treviso-born Italian tenor studied under legendary Leone Magiera, who was also – among many big names in the world of opera – the master of Luciano Pavarotti. He made his debut in Venice as Rodolfo in La bohème in 1996, a year later he appeared at La Scala in Macbeth and Requiem by Verdi, both conducted by Riccardo Muti. In the past two decades he performed in several acclaimed Verdi productions in Milan such as I due Foscari (Jacopo Foscari), Simon Boccanegra (Gabriele Adorno), Attila (Foresto), Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio (Riccardo), Aida (Radamès) and I masnadieri (Carlo) as well as the title role of Don Carlo. He made his name as a Verdian heldentenor in Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Zurich, Moscow, Arena di Verona, and the Salzburg Festival. He also performed to acclaim in the Macbeth production of the Berlin State Opera partnering Anna Netrebko and Plácido Domingo. The vast repertoire of the singer also includes roles in operas by Bellini (Norma), Donizetti (Linda di Chamounix), Cilea (Adriana Lecouvreur), and Puccini (Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Turandot).
At the Tenorissimo opera gala, Fabio Sartori performs arias and duets from Simon Boccanegra, Macbeth, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, his partners in Puccini duets are Zsuzsanna Ádám and Csilla Boross. The programme also features excerpts from Aida, La Traviata, and Manon Lescaut performed by Gabriella Létay Kiss, Orsolya Sáfár, and Andrea Szántó as well as the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by general music director Balázs Kocsár. The performance is hosted by Melitta Gyüdi, directed by artistic director András Almási-Tóth.
