UPDATE: Unfortunately, the festival has been canceled for 2013 – back in 2014!
The annual Israeli Opera Festival at Masada is a breath of fresh air on the opera scene, and has fast become one of the most spectacular opera shows in the world – an amazing experience in the Holy Land, if ever there was one!
Held every summer at the foot of the world-famous Masada fortress in Israel’s Judean Desert, this event is a real treat for both the eyes and ears. Really, what could be better than some stunning desert scenery than an amazing opera concert set in stunning scenery!
June 2013 is when you can catch the fourth Masada Opera festival. And this year, the festival’s headline event will be a massive production of Puccini’s Turandot, featuring some spectacular singers from the widely acclaimed Israeli Opera as well as highly accomplished musicians from the Israel Symphony Orchestra. The conductor will be the internationally renowned Daniel Oren.
And expect the story to match the scenery: the story of Turandot is truly an enchanting one, based in the forbidden city of Beijing about the ice princess Turandot, who sends each prince who cannot correctly answer her three riddles to the gallows.
As with every opera performance at Masada, you can also expect production values to be beyond compare. The stage will come alight with the performers donning complex and colorful costumes (including hundreds of Chinese terracotta soldiers) amidst gorgeous backdrops. Of course, no man-made backdrop could ever match up to the sheer size and grandeur of the impregnable Masada (don’t miss our guide to this amazing mountain-top fortress). Watching an opera performed as the Masada looms overhead is an unforgettable sight, so don’t miss out.
The festival has many other attractions that will appeal to opera lovers of all persuasions. One of these is the sprawling opera park, a celebration of this performing art’s rich and colorful history and a place where opera fans of all ages and nationalities can mingle. The park will contain some excellent restaurants as well as handy transportation drop-off points for those entering and leaving the park.
If you appreciate opera and love stunning desert scenery, the fourth annual Masada Opera Festival really should be a part of your travel plans for 2013. Of course, the Dead Sea is also just a stone’s throw away, including some amazing hotels that you should consider basing yourself at during this festival.
The dates to mark in your calendar for Turandot at Masada – June 8, 10, 11, 12, 13.
For tickets, call *6226.