On March 5, the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre will present Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida. Thirty minutes before the curtain rises (at 6:30 PM), audiences are invited to the second-floor foyer for a pre-performance talk with musicologist and guest lecturer Svetlana Voitkevich.

Svetlana Gennadyevna is an Honoured Cultural Figure of the Krasnoyarsk Region, holds a PhD in Art History, and serves as Professor and Vice-Rector of the Hvorostovsky Siberian State Institute of Arts. This season, she is also a member of the expert council of Russia’s National Theatre Award, the Golden Mask.

The talk is titled Beloved Aida. Why did Verdi — often called the “maestro of the Italian Revolution” — accept a commission from the Egyptian Khedive? How did the geopolitical climate of 19th-century Europe shape the fate of an opera commissioned for the opening of the Suez Canal? And perhaps most intriguingly, why did Verdi fall silent for more than fifteen years after the triumphant premieres in Cairo and Milan?

The audience will have the opportunity to explore the historical context of the era and uncover the secrets behind Verdi’s 24th opera. Admission to the talk is free for all ticket holders.