“An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house.” – Maria Callas
In commemoration of 100th birthday of Maria Callas, a legendary soprano from the 20th century, the Italian Embassy, Instituto Italiano di Cultura (IIC) Jakarta, and Ciputra Artpreneur proudly present an operatic concert titled “Tribute to Maria Callas”. The show will present opera singers from Italy and Indonesia, Jakarta Concert Orchestra and Batavia Madrigal Singers. There will be two shows held on 7 October 2023, each at 2 pm and 7 pm Jakarta time.
“Maria Callas represents opera not only in Italy but in the whole world. She has been performing on international theatres, from Milan to New York and London. Her skills and interpretation is outstanding and unrivalled,” says Maria Battaglia, the director of IIC, at the press conference of the operatic concert. “The music compositions that will be performed include arias from Callas’ most famous operas like Norma, La Traviata, and Cavalleria Rusticana. To us, this event is very important as it can strengthen the collaboration between Italy and Indonesia. We thank the Indonesian and Italian singers and musicians who will be perform together in this event. Through this concert, we present Bel Canto, which is part of the Italian culture, to the Jakarta audience, to showcase the performers’ skilful interpretation, and most importantly to remember the great Maria Callas,” she added.
Rina Ciputra Sastrawinata, the president director of Ciputra Artpreneur, received the Ordine deella Stella d’Italia Classe Cavalieree award from the Italian government for her idea and collaborations with IIC through many artistic performances and exhibitions, namely Traviata Artemis Danza (2015), I Bislacchi, A Tribute to Fellini (2016), and Pavarotti Forever Tribute Concert (2017). She has also held an art exhibition titled Beyond The East: A Gaze on Indonesian Contemporary Art in MACRO Testaccio, Roma, Italy in 2011, collaborating with an international art critic and curator Prof. Achille Bonito Oliva and curator Dominique Lora. “I am so proud because the “Tribute to Maria Callas” show will also involve Indonesia’s notable conductor Avip Priatna and soprano Regina Handoko,” Rina says. “It is a show that you shouldn’t miss. And for artists, this will be a great chance to exchange experiences,” she added.
Regina Handoko was also present in the press conference. “Singing Maria Callas’ songs is an honour and challenge to any opera singer, including me. She has outstanding vocal technique, emotional depth and interpretation skill. This program is very interesting because it is an international collaboration between Italy and Indonesia. I’m sure it will be a very memorable event for the audience,” Regina said proudly.
Also present at the press conference via online video were Avip Priatna and Maestro Massimiliano Sinceri who stated their excitement of joining the show.
For more information about the concert and ticket sale, head down to IIC’s Instagram account @iicjakarta.