Among the themes characterizing the rich and varied programming of Teatro Massimo's summer, the Four Hundredth Anniversary of the discovery of the remains of Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of the city of Palermo, holds a prominent place.

The summer season of 2024 opens on June 27th with "4 Songs for Saint Rosalia," followed by three other events in honor of the Saint.

PERFORMANCES IN HONOR OF SAINT ROSALIA FOR THE 400TH FESTINO

• 4 Songs for Saint Rosalia

Thursday, June 27th, 9:00 PM
Teatro Massimo – Sala Grande
An oratory in four parts for soprano, mezzo-soprano, narrator, and orchestra that, from its title, highlights the deep connection with the city.
The Four Songs are the intersection of the two main thoroughfares in the historic center of Palermo and a symbolic place of Festino celebration, but they are also original compositions entrusted by the Teatro Massimo Foundation to four composers: Valentina Casesa, Maria Mannone, Giulia Tagliavia, and Corinne Latteur.
Thanks to the historical research of Consuelo Giglio and the dramaturgy of Fabrizio Lupo, the show will attempt to address one of the gaps in the history of music in Palermo and Sicily in general, namely the lack of musical archival sources.
For this event, realized in collaboration with the Regional Library "A. Bombace" and the Municipal Library "Leonardo Sciascia," new music compositions will be created by the four composers based on the texts of the found oratories and cantatas in the archives, while the actor Filippo Luna will read other texts from the librettos of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, thus connecting the four compositions, inspired by four moments of the Saint's life.
The Teatro Massimo Orchestra will be conducted by Alberto Maniaci, with soloists soprano Maria Cristina Napoli and mezzo-soprano Marta Di Stefano.

• For the Love of Rosalia

Sunday, June 30th, 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM
Teatro Massimo – Sala Grande
A show conceived by Elisa Parrinello, who will also direct it, produced by Teatro Massimo in collaboration with Teatro Ditirammu of Palermo.
On stage, more than 230 young artists comprising the Massimo Kids Orchestra, conducted by Michele De Luca, the Youth of Ditirammu Lab, the Cantoria and the Children's Choir of Teatro Massimo directed by Salvatore Punturo and Giuseppe Ricotta.
The musical program includes the performance of arrangements of traditional folk music around the figure of the Saint and original music by Salvatore Nogara.
Scenes are curated by Stefano Canzoneri and costumes by Marja Hoffmann.

• Santa Rusulia

Friday, August 2nd, and Saturday, August 3rd, 7:00 PM
Roccella-Sperone - Church of Maria SS. delle Grazie
A musical show conceived and directed by Marco Canzoneri, involving the Citizen Choir of the neighborhoods Danisinni, Roccella/Sperone, and ZEN led by Maestro Manlio Messina, continuing the work that Teatro Massimo has been carrying out in the city's suburbs for many years.
Music by Puccini, commemorating the centenary of his death, Visconti, Ricotta, Mauro, Nogara, Oliva.

CHECK OUT THE FULL SUMMER 2024 PROGRAM OF TEATRO MASSIMO