The Royal Opera House Muscat’s (ROHM) ‘2017-2018: A Legendary Season’ encapsulates the exciting genres of performances that are lined up to make the season truly legendary. The new Season, which marks ROHM’s seventh spell, will open on September 14th, 2017 with Giuseppe Verdi’s grand masterpiece ‘Aida’, produced by Teatro Regio Torino.
Announcing the new season at a press conference, H.H. Sayyid Kamil Fahad Al Said, Member of the ROHM Board commented: “With 35 outstanding new programmes and 55 performances, we unveil an inspiring theme for the 2017 – 2018 season… Not only does our new season offer an abundance of performers with legendary reputations, but also it is set to further brand the Royal Opera House as a legendary place where the dreams of civilisations are realised.”
Highlighting the new ventures that are on the agenda for the season, ROHM Director-General, Umberto Fanni spoke about another new coproduction, Bellini’s Norma with Opéra de Rouen. “The Royal Opera House Muscat is continuing on the path of transformation from a predominantly hosting institution to a theatre that also creates its own productions in-house,” he said.
After marking its Sixth Anniversary on the 12th of October 2017, ROHM will commence its seventh season with a wide range of top quality productions in many different genres. On the agenda are two delightful, heart-warming operas – Gioachino Rossini’s ‘L’Occasione fa il Ladro’ (Opportunity Makes a Thief) and ‘La Sonnambula’ (The Sleepwalker).
The year 2017 marks the tenth death anniversary of the legendary Luciano Pavarotti; ROHM will pay tribute to him in Homage to Luciano Pavarotti, a gala concert as well as an exhibition of treasured Pavarotti memorabilia from 14th December 2017 to 6th January 2018.
The roster of superstars includes Sir Cliff Richard, the rock legend who has sold more than 250 million records worldwide, Dianne Reeves, a living jazz legend who has won more than five Grammy Award and Gilberto Gil, known as ‘The Soul of Brazil’.
Arab Performances
Among the many highlights in ROHM’s 2017-2018 series of nine Omani and Arab performances are the annual Omani Women’s Day Celebration, featuring talented Yemeni singer Balqees and ROHM’s Military Music: Oman and the World with hundreds of musicians marching in dress uniform on the Maidan. Arab concerts will feature contemporary legends like Sami Yusuf and rising Omani star Salah Al Zadjali.
Ballets
The first ballet of the season is ‘Swan Lake’, the compelling story of a swan swimming on a lake of tears; it will be followed with ‘Pas de Deux for Fingers and Toes’, were music and movement come together in a supreme expression of beauty. ROHM is venturing to into avant-garde ballet with a new take on ‘Cinderella’ and is returning to Tango with a thrilling show called Recital CanTANGO.
(Tickets went on sale from May 23rd, 2017)