Thanks to its musical tradition and the appeal exerted by the great names of opera, Modena has always been a must for those who wish to perfect their vocal techniques and presence on stage. Many former students of Mirella Freni and Raina Kabaivanska are now renowned singers who perform in the most important theatres around the world.
It is in this context that the project “Modena città del Bel Canto” was born. Promoted by Fondazione di Modena, Comune di Modena, Fondazione Teatro Comunale and the Institute of Musical Studies ‘Vecchi - Tonelli’, it has two main objectives: the training and professional growth of young opera singers; the musical production and the enhancement of the cultural offer of the territory.
To promote young talents and to present to the press, operators, and opera enthusiasts all the project's initiatives, such as the new Modena Belcanto Festival – an event of national importance that will be held starting in May 2024, the Teatro Comunale Pavarotti-Freni has organized a series of international events, with concerts featuring students from courses held in Modena.
During the 2022/2023 season, concerts have already been held in Novi Sadi, Linz, Madrid, Copenhagen, Avignon, and Leipzig.

The concert in Lyon features two young Modena Belcanto students: Romanian Aida Pascu, who came out of Raina Kabaivanska's music Master, and Davide Peroni, heard in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Teatro Comunale. They will perform in a programme of pieces by Verdi and Puccini alongside two established performers who came out of Modena's training: Matteo Lippi, a tenor now active in major theatres, and Francesca Pivetta, a pianist who was formerly an assistant in Mirella Freni's courses.

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