Thursday 16 / January / 2025
Muscat: December 2024 began in striking style as the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) welcomed world-class artists for a weekend of artistic brilliance featuring Gaetano Donizetti’s beloved opera La Fille du Régiment and an exhilarating Piano Duel between two world-renowned virtuosos.
ROHM presented La Fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), Donizetti’s celebrated opera, to delighted audiences who filled the opera house in anticipation of this timeless masterpiece. Directed by Jean-Louis Grinda, the opera featured an exceptional cast including Jessica Pratt, Veronica Simeoni, Antonino Siragusa, and Omar Montanari, with La Corelli Orchestra conducted by the acclaimed maestro, Antonello Allemandi.
ROHM also welcomed to its stage The Piano Duel, a completely original initiative for ROHM, bringing together two award winning pianists Nikolai Kuznetsov and Aristo Sham for an exceptional concert.
For the first time in its history, ROHM presented audiences with the opportunity to cast their vote for their favourite performance of the evening, while both internationally renowned artists were honoured for their extraordinary talent. Major pieces of importance from the piano repertoire were performed, including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3 and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1. This concert formed part of the Emerging Talents series, which will showcase a variety of rising artists on the ROHM stage in the months ahead.
Both productions mark another milestone in ROHM’s commitment to bringing world-class opera and cultural experiences to the region and Oman, reaffirming its reputation as a leading venue for performing arts internationally.
December performances will continue to captivate audiences as ROHM presents two inspiring events including Desert Bridges concert and Sword of Wisdom. Desert Bridges will celebrate artists from both Oman and Switzerland on stage to share the common language of music, on Thursday, 12 December at the Royal Opera House of Musical Arts, and the admission is free.
For a spectacular journey into the realm of ancient wisdom and modern theatrical spectacle, Sword of Wisdom by Taiwan’s U-Theatre will grace the stage on 19 and 20 December. This production is perfect for family audiences of all ages, merging drumming, martial arts, and acrobatic feats to narrate the heroic journey of the ‘Brave One’ as he faces his fears and uncovers his inner courage.
Audiences can also look forward to ROHM’s Open House on 21 December, on the theme of a World of Fairy Tales, which invites families to explore the magic of classic tales brought to life. Additionally, Let’s Read storytelling session will be held on 14 December in ROHM’s Music Library on the theme of One Thousand and One Nights – both events in December are free of admission and open to all.
