Royal Opera House Muscat to stage unique artistic performances in January 2025

Muscat: The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) will continue its 2024/25 season with a unique line-up in January 2025, in addition to inspiring educational activities for audiences of all ages, starting from fairy tales brought to life on ice to performances rich in cultural heritage and operatic masterpieces. Among the activities is the Folk Music Festival, which will be held on Thursday and Friday, January 16 and 17.

This year’s Folk Music Festival brings together traditional Omani folk bands and bands from Bulgaria, South Korea and Paraguay. Taking place at the Royal Opera House – House of Musical Arts’ Marine Square, the production celebrates Omani and international cultural and popular heritage, and cultural exchange through music and the arts, in addition to Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Simon Boccanegra, which will be performed on Thursday and Saturday, January 23 and 25.

Mariinsky Theatre Director and world-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev will conduct Verdi’s Mariinsky, a moving tale of love, loss and conflict. Directed by Andrea De Rosa, the production features period costumes, magnificent voices and a dazzling cast of opera stars. A pre-show lecture will provide additional insights into the opera’s themes and history.

Opera fans can attend the Opera Seminars on Wednesday (January 22), learning about the story and drama of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra with live musical excerpts, while the Lunchtime Music session on Saturday (January 18) at Opera Galleria offers a beautiful performance of some of the opera’s most famous arias and melodies. The Royal Opera House will also present a special evening of Russian opera masterpieces with a group of young soloists from the Mariinsky Theatre on Friday, January 24.

It will include a concert of Russian melodies by composers such as Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky. This performance highlights the emerging operatic talents and the beauty of Russian vocal performance. Meanwhile, the Lebanese star Majida El Roumi will present a concert full of delicate feelings and warm emotions, accompanied by the orchestra and choir.

The star of peace will fill the Opera House with the most beautiful poems of love, humanity, and loyalty on Thursday and Saturday, January 30 and February 1.

The Royal Opera House’s January line-up also includes a range of educational and community events, which all segments of society can enjoy and experience.

Highlights include a symposium and workshop featuring violin experts and a special session for Omani violin students as part of the Paganini for All initiative, as well as a “Let’s Read” storytelling session on Saturday, January 11, at the Royal Opera House’s Music Library, featuring readings of Harry Potter in both Arabic and English.