An event to mark the World Opera Day 
On the occasion of the World Opera Day we invite you to delve deeper into the phenomenon of opera.
The first celebration of the World Opera Days was organized in 2019 as the result of shared discussions between members of OPERA America, Ópera Latinoamérica, Opera Europa, and representatives of the opera field from the rest of the world, which aimed to raise public awareness of the positive impact and value of opera for society. Opera is an international language, and its stories reflect the values of freedom and tolerance, as well as contributes to opening minds and getting people in touch with strong universal emotions.
An impulse for this event, organized by the Klaipėda State Music Theatre, was provided by the Opera Europa (of which the KSMT has been member since 2019), which suggested a common theme for the fourth edition of the World Opera Day this year. ‘Unboxing Opera’ refers to the millions of videos to be watched on the World Wide Web, where users unbox products in front of their camera. The videos are usually enthusiastic and reflect the emotion and excitement someone can feel when discovering something new. Even though opera goes far beyond a product that can be taken out of a box and nimbly assembled to make it work, we can still try to ‘unbox’ it by revealing its content, explaining its constituents and their functioning, bringing it closer to people, and sharing strong emotions while discovering new facets of . ‘Unboxing opera’ can also evoke the idea of bringing it out of a rigid place, of breaking mental boundaries and social limitations imposed on this age-old, yet vibrant art form.
While trying to answering to this theme we came up with the format combining a discussion and a concert. The event, entitled “Look deeper!” and dedicated to the World Opera Day, offers unexpected insights into the art form to be proposed by well-known Lithuanian philosopher and author Arvydas Juozaitis, Chief Conductor of the KSMT Tomas Ambrozaitis and Chief Choirmaster of the KSMT Vladimiras Konstantinovas. A selection of arias and ensembles from the better and less known operas will be performed by the soloists Beata Ignatavičiūtė, Rita Petrauskaitė, Aurimas Raulinavičius, Mindaugas Rojus, Vilius Trakys, and pianist Loreta Piaseckienė. Musicologist, professor of music history Dr. Danutė Petrauskaitė will moderate the discussion and present the works included in the music programme.
Let us then unbox the opera together, and open our minds and hearts to the new experience of opera!
MUSIC PROGRAMME
Antonín DVOŘÁK – Rusalka’s “Song to the Moon” from the opera Rusalka, Act I
Soloist Rita Petrauskaitė
Gaetano DONIZETTI – Marie and Sulpice‘s duet from the opera La fille du régiment, Act I
Soloists: Rita Petrauskaitė, Vilius Trakys
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART – Quartet “Non ti fidar, o misera” from the opera Don Giovanni, Act I
Soloists: Beata Ignatavičiūtė, Rita Petrauskaitė, Aurimas Raulinavičius, Mindaugas Rojus
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART – Donna Elvira’s aria “Ah! fuggi il traditor!” from the opera Don Giovanni, Act I
Soloist Beata Ignatavičiūtė
Borys LYATOSHINSKY – Miroslava’s arioso from the opera The Golden Ring, Act II
Soloist Rita Petrauskaitė
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO – Tonio’s aria “Si può? Signore!” from the prologue to the opera Pagliacci
Soloist Mindaugas Rojus
