The 2026 edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music pays homage to Giuseppe Verdi as the world commemorates the 125th death anniversary of the Italian opera master. The festival joins the celebratory chorus with Il Trovatore, one of the composer’s masterpieces which commenced his “victorious march throughout the operatic world”.
Inspired by Antonio García Gutiérrez’s 1836 Spanish play and stretching the dramatic possibilities of the plot to its extreme, the over-arching themes of love, revenge and mistaken identity connect the musical feast of melodies and vocal fireworks.
Marking a pinnacle in Verdi’s creativity, the oeuvre was composed along with Rigoletto and La Traviata over a three-year period. The works completing this “trilogia popolare” were presented by Gaulitana in 2015 and 2023 respectively.
Received to positive acclaim, festival productions − most recently for “a Nabucco to remember” − have become the pinnacle of the annual springtime festival, highlighting the OPERA+ Weekend, three days of cultural bonanza bringing the festival to an end.
In parallel, during the pandemic-forced performances hiatus, the virtual opera series Viva Verdi garnered over 210,000 views online.
A star-studded cast features for this 10th opera in the annals of Gaulitana. Marco Berti (Manrico), boasting a stellar career in major opera houses around the world, is rivalled by Mario Cassi (Conte di Luna), a regular fixture in prestigious theatres, interpreting a role “most dear” to him. Francesca Dotto (Leonora) reprises the role interpreted at La Fenice, as Verdian specialist Silvia Beltrami (Azucena) plays the character performed to wide acclaim in Venice and Rome.
Gaulitana also promotes Maltese artists, with the line-up including young tenor Giosuè Agius singing Ruiz, while Clare Ghigo returns to Gaulitana as Ines after her appearance in Manon Lescaut. They are complemented by Deyan Vatchkov, leading the troops as Ferrando.
Il Trovatore will be held on April 25 at the Aurora Theatre in Victoria, with the Gaulitanus Choir and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Mro Colin Attard, and stage direction by Enrico Castiglione.
An exclusive shuttle service will be offered for opera patrons travelling to Gozo on the 6.15pm Ċirkewwa-Mġarr ferry trip and for the return to Mġarr after the opera performance (pre-booking is required).
Gaulitana 2026 runs until April 26, presenting a varied programme of events around Gozo. Events are free of charge and no reservations are required.
Il Trovatore bookings are available at www.teatruaurora.com or by calling on 7904 5779.
The festival is organised by the Gaulitanus Choir and is principally supported by the Investment in Cultural Organisations – Gozo of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo and Planning, partnered by the Bank of Valletta Foundation, VisitMalta and APS Bank.