Festival Verdi 2026 features Alzira and Verdi Requiem in Parma

The 26th edition of Festival Verdi in Parma, Italy, featured several major performances, including a new production of Alzira and a concert performance of the Verdi Requiem.

The production of Alzira, directed by Manuel Renga, attempted to emphasize the opera’s political dimensions, focusing on the conquest of Peru as a process of territorial and cultural appropriation. The staging utilized distinct environments to contrast the world of the invaders with the landscape of the indigenous population.

Additionally, the festival presented a concert performance of the Verdi Requiem at the Teatro Regio. Conducted by Daniele Rustioni and accompanied by the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, the performance featured soloists Eleonora Buratto, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Saimir Pirgu, and Roberto Tagliavini, alongside the Teatro Regio chorus.