Opera Festival of Chicago
July 6-23, 2023
The Opera Festival of Chicago presents world-class standard productions of Italian opera masterpieces in Chicago that rarely grace the stage in the United States. The 2023 Season, on the theme of “Power, Glory, and Betrayal,” will present two new productions and a special concert by internationally celebrated Italian basso Ferruccio Furlanetto.
Murder in the Cathedral
July 6 & July 9, 2023
The Chicago Temple
77 W Washington St, Chicago, IL
From the writing of T. S. Eliot’s 1935 play, “Murder in the Cathedral” remains one of Ildebrando Pizzetti’s most celebrated compositions. This dramatic opera portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral during the reign of Henry II in 1170.
An Italian Soirée
July 12, 2023
Artifacts Events
4325 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL
The Festival artists will be showcased in an evening dedicated to an exciting selection of music inspired by the season theme of Power, Glory, and Betrayal. Famous arias, duets and trios will alternate with instrumental music inspired by some of the greatest Italian operas of all times and performed on piano, flute, and accordion by three great virtuosi of these instruments.
CANCELLED
Ferruccio Furlanetto in Concert
July 13, 2023
Harris Theater
205 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL
Marking his only U.S. solo recital since 2016, the great Italian basso’s more than 50-yearlong international career will be showcased in this tour-de-force recital. His recent European recitals have been acclaimed by critics as “one of the most exciting musical moments of the year” with performances at Teatro alla Scalla in Milan, Italy and Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. Celebrating an incredible career of performances around the world, Mr. Furlanetto will perform selections from his greatest operatic performances including beloved bass arias from The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Boris Godunov and Don Carlo.
Ferruccio Furlanetto sings “Ella giammai m’amò” from Verdi’s Don Carlo
Verdi Attila
July 20 & July 23, 2023
Cahn Auditorium
600 Emerson St, Evanston, IL
Verdi’s popular 1846 opera in a prologue and three acts takes us to the mid-5th century near Rome following Attila, King of the Huns. A story of Power, Glory, and Betrayal, Attila was Verdi’s 9th opera and has been one of his most popular earlier works with soaring melodies, giant choruses within this epic tale.