Gaulitana: A Festival of Music marks its return to live opera this year with Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata to be held on April 29 at the Aurora Theatre, Gozo.

La Traviata will be performed by a cast led by Ekaterina Bakanova, famed for playing Violetta after her last-minute Covent Garden debut, and Francesco Meli, billed as a worthy Alfredo in terms of timbre and vocal expression. Piero Terranova returns to Gozo, following his role as Amonasro last October.

The line-up is complemented by a number of international artists regularly performing in leading opera houses, together with local signer Alan Sciberras and Louis Andrew Cassar.

The production is directed by Enrico Castiglione.

Fusing a cinematographic visual inspiration with innovative concepts, his operas at Gaulitana include Tosca (2014) and the Ġgantija-reimagined Norma (2018).

The performance of ‘Tosca’ in 2014.

The camellia, the flower associated with Violetta in the original plot by Alexandre Dumas, inspires this year’s stage design.

The opera will feature the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gaulitanus Choir under the baton of Colin Attard.

Online booking is available at www.teatruaurora.com or via the ticket helpline 7904 5779. For more information, visit www.gaulitanus.com.