ROF 2021, joyous conclusion

The Gala Rossini, attended by the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, brought the 42nd edition of the Rossini Opera Festival to a joyous conclusion in Piazza del Popolo. In spite of the still existing limitations due to the pandemia, which have severely restricted both the seating capacity of the performance venues and the possibility of travelling on the part of foreign visitors, the 2021 edition has marked a strong re-launching of the Festival with regard to both size of audiences and media coverage.

The box-office has recorded 8.544 spectators and takings of 650.716,50 euros. In spite of continuing obstacles to flying from such strategic countries as England, Russia and Japan, we have registered a percentage of 52% of foreign visitors, with France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, Spain, Belgium, Holland, England, Japan, Russia and Israel among the nations best represented.

We have consolidated our relationship with the Rai, represented in Pesaro by its Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale, for some years a leading feature of the Festival. Rai Cultura has recorded Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra, which will be transmitted on Rai5 on Thursday 30th September at 9.15 p.m. Rai Radio3 broadcast live the opening nights of Moïse et Pharaon, Il signor Bruschino and Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra, this last also on the Euroradio circuit, as well as the final Gala Rossini, at which the General Administrator of the Rai, Carlo Fuortes, was also present. Furthermore, the Gala was broadcast in live streaming via the platform Raicultura.it.

In order to consolidate our bond with those audiences abroad who were once more unable to come to Pesaro this summer, we broadcast in live streaming on our website and on the Festival social channels both performances of Il viaggio a Reims sung by pupils of the Accademia Rossiniana “Alberto Zedda” (15th and 18th August). The second performance was also broadcast by Italiafestival.tv as part of the ItaliaFestival Estate all’Italiana project promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs throughout all its network of Embassies, Consulates and Institutes of Italian Culture.

Unitel has recorded Moïse et Pharaon and Il signor Bruschino. Moïse et Pharaon will also be broadcast by the video platform Cue Tv on Tuesday 31st August at 7.00 p.m. as part of the Cue Tv Summer Festival, an initiative realized in collaboration with the website Operabase.com.

Media coverage has been noteworthy: the Festival was covered by 127 accredited journalists representing publications from 22 nations (not including Italy): Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Vatican City, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, Holland, Peru, Great Britain, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, the USA, Sweden and Switzerland.

As for the ROF 2022, which will be held from the 9th to the 21st August, the programme will offer two new opera productions: Le Comte Ory, conducted by Diego Matheuz and staged by Hugo de Ana; Otello, conducted by Yves Abel and staged by Rosetta Cucchi. There will also be a revival of the well-received production of La Gazzetta, first seen at the ROF in 2015, produced by Marco Carniti and conducted this time by Carlo Rizzi. The programme also includes a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the collaboration of Pier Luigi Pizzi with the Rossini Opera Festival.

Pesaro, 24 August 2021.