Norma (20 and 26 July, 4 and 9 August) by Vincenzo Bellini (a.k.a. the swan from Catania) is due to celebrate the 60^th opera season at the Sferisterio. It was one of the few operas that were considered to be first staged in the arena, at the beginning of the Twentieth century, and it is revamped this year to celebrate the town of Macerata and the citizens who made every effort to make the Sferisterio an opera venue. This new production is signed by director and documentary producer Maria Mauti, who debuts this year as opera director. A Belcanto expert will conduct the orchestra, i.e. Fabrizio Maria Carminati, who is also artistic director of the Bellini theatre in Catania, Italy. Amongst the soloists, Marta Torbidoni (as Norma), a young soprano born in the Marche region who is making a great international career, but also Roberta Mantegna as Adalgisa. The male roles are taken by Antonio Poli (Pollione) and Riccardo Fassi (Oroveso).

Opera in two acts, libretto by Felice Romani. It is inspired by a tragedy written by Louis-Alexandre Soumet (1786-1845) and it was composed by Vincenzo Bellini in 1831, in less than three months. It premiered at Teatro alla Scala on 26 December of the same year and it was a great fiasco, mainly as an opposition to the composer himself and the female protagonist, Giuditta Pasta. Today, it is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Romantic opera. The story, close to the myth of Medea, is centred upon love, jealousy and revenge among betrayed lovers.