As the second production on this year’s programme, the 62nd Macerata Opera Festival continues its opening weekend with the acclaimed Il Barbiere di Siviglia, directed by Abbiati Prize-winning director Daniele Menghini, with musical direction by Jacopo Brusa – a young conductor with an outstanding career – a top-class Rossini cast, and a major, highly topical surprise that breathes new life into the 2022 dramaturgical project.

 From 18 July, the acclaimed production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia returns to the Sferisterio. Directed in 2022 by Daniele Menghini – winner of the 2026 Abbiati Prize – it is conducted by Jacopo Brusa, who has already earned acclaim as a Rossini conductor at the ROF. Taking to the stage at the Sferisterio will be a cast of specialists in the Rossini repertoire and an outstanding new talent in the role of the protagonist, Figaro: the young Armenian baritone Grisha Martirosyan, one of the winners of the recent edition of Placido Domingo’s famous Operalia competition, who has already made major debuts at venues such as Salzburg and the Royal Opera House in London. Already regarded by critics as an outstanding Rossinian Figaro, Martirosyan will arrive in Macerata well prepared, having spent months in the same role in Bonn. The Count of Almaviva, meanwhile, will once again be played by Ruzil Gatin, now a highly regarded singer following his convincing performances at La Scala and the ROF, not to mention the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Rosina will be played by the young but already highly acclaimed mezzo-soprano Raffaella Lupinacci, a bel canto singer well established in the Rossini repertoire, thanks in part to her long association with the ROF since 2012. Bartolo will be played by the outstanding baritone Marco Filippo Romano, an excellent interpreter of character roles thanks both to his perfect diction and his clear, incisive timbre even in the most challenging passages; his exceptional acting skills have made him a sought-after performer at the finest theatres on the international scene.  Bass Riccardo Fassi will return to Macerata in the role of Don Basilio, having performed at the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera and the San Francisco Opera, confirming his prominent position on the European and international opera scenes. Meanwhile, the young Giulia Mazzola will make her debut on the Sferisterio stage as Berta; she is a promising new talent already acclaimed by the most prestigious theatres and festivals, including the Caracalla Theatre for the Rome Opera and the Arena di Verona. Another new voice, in the role of Fiorello, is the young baritone Valerio Morelli, who will make his Macerata debut fresh from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

The colourful production, effectively presented as a television reality show, is summarised by Daniele Menghini, starting with the protagonist himself: “Figaro is the new man, a contemporary reimagining of the servant from 18th-century comedy who, having been reborn in our era, can finally choose a new master: Showbiz. The purest essence of a society addicted to a compulsive desire for the limelight, hedonism, narcissism and fame at any cost, it is precisely through media popularity that Figaro escapes the anonymity of the common man to step into the limelight of success with his hugely popular dating show Il Factotum.

And into this context of highly contemporary storytelling, a new, entirely original character makes a surprise appearance: the influencer and content creator Valentina Anzani, in the unexpected role of herself, because it is clear that a modern reality show, to be credible, cannot do without a massive digital presence. A real surprise for everyone, starting with the new actress, who describes this unusual proposal as follows: “When Daniele suggested I appear on screen, it took me a moment to realise whether he was joking. Then I realised he wasn’t, and from that point on I stopped wondering and accepted. What struck me was that Daniele looked at a specific journey – years of work, a community that has built itself up around an idea of how the opera can be told today – and decided that this journey deserved a place on stage.”

The structure of the opera is therefore perfectly preserved, whilst the motivations driving the characters are replaced by contemporary ones, in a game of mirroring that cannot fail to engage the audience.

Another little surprise will be the Dongfeng lorry, which takes centre stage at a key moment in the plot, thanks to the newly formed collaboration between MOF and Dongfeng Italia.

Conductor Jacopo Brusa, who has generously come to Macerata to stand in for Martinenghi, emphasises: “Ah! What an unexpected twist!” I’d say that’s the perfect summary of my debut in the splendid setting of the Sferisterio!  Il Barbiere is a work I feel particularly attached to. Ever since I was a child, when, at the age of 10, I appeared as an extra in a production at the Fraschini, my hometown theatre in Pavia. The vital energy of Rossini’s music was overwhelming! To then have had the privilege of conducting it was truly a childhood dream come true. To do so once again with an orchestra, the FORM, with whom I tackled this opera just last autumn, is a source of further enthusiasm thanks to the human and musical rapport that has developed. Finally, finding a cast of extraordinary artists – with many of whom I also share a deep friendship – has made this unexpected production of Barbiere for me yet another opportunity to convey all the joy and energy of our much-loved Rossini’s music and try to bring it, once again, to the audience at the Sferisterio!”