“Giuseppe Verdi was not afraid of authority; a lot of his operas were almost a comment on the social status and injustices of that time. He had to veil a lot of his works with almost mythical characters so as to pass his work from censorship. Therefore, we felt it appropriate to celebrate the month of youth that symbolises the bravery the youth had in this country in 1976 with the ingenuity and bravery of a man like Verdi,” says Marcus Desando, artistic director.

Verdi enthusiasts can look forward to the traditional presentation of the maestro’s masterpieces, which will range from his most popular works to the rarely performed, including the well-known 'Va Pensiero (Slave Chorus)' from Nabucco, the harmonious and tuneful 'La donna è mobile' and the famous quartet 'Un di sebben rammentomi (Bella figlia)' from Rigoletto, to the not-so-known but breath-taking trio from I Lombardi – 'Qual voluttà trascorrere'. Also included in the programme is one of the most powerful overtures in the history of opera from La Forza del Destino.

Accompanying the BTE VO1SS artists and opera chorus will be the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) under the baton of South African born conductor, Alexander Fokkens, who is currently the artistic director of the Free State Symphony Orchestra in Bloemfontein and the resident conductor of the University of Cape Town.

This gala is in celebration of Youth Day on 16 June and there is a 20% discount on tickets for the month of April. Tickets are R180 for Block A, R160 for Block B and R140 for Block C. Discounts are also available for pensioners and block bookings of 10 and more. Bookings are open at Computicket.

Date and time: 15 June at 20:00
Venue: Linder Auditorium, 27 St Andrews, Parktown, Johannesburg.
Tickets: R180, R160, R140
Discounts: 10% for pensioners and on block bookings of 10 and more.
Bookings: Open now at Computicket.