Opera festival concludes with grand finale

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Photos: Ramidi Subari

KUCHING: The Borneo Opera Festival (BOF) came to a grand finale with a captivating performance of the iconic Italian composition, ‘Bella Ciao’ (Goodbye, Beautiful).

The final evening of BOF took place on Sunday evening (Oct 15) at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) building here, and received tremendous support from enthusiasts.

The spectacle commenced promptly at 8pm, with the orchestra taking the stage and captivating the audience with their rendition of Radetzky Marsch.

Jeanne-Marie Druce leads in singing the State Anthem ‘Ibu Pertiwiku’.

Sarawak’s very own soprano sensation, Jeanne-Marie Druce, then graced the stage and delivered a moving performance of the Malaysian classic, “Ibu Pertiwiku”.

Domenico Menini followed with his enchanting rendition of Agustín Lara: Granda.

After his astounding performance, the orchestra continued with their rendition of the timeless classic, “Donauwalzer”.

The next highlight showcased Druce, dressed in a striking blue gown, captivating the audience with “Aria Violetta” (La Traviata) and an unexpected duet with Menini.

The show progressed with the orchestra performing “Feuerfest Polka”, followed by Ioan Vrasmas’s vocal rendition of “Non Piu Andrai”.

As the night progressed, the orchestra delighted the audience with performances of Can Can; Lippen Schweigen by Druce and Menini; and also Pace Mio Dio sung by Beatriz Silvan.

Bogdan Costasche Violinist and conductor of the Opera Vox Orchestera from Romania interacting with the audience while playing his violin.

Moreover, opera lovers in attendance also had the opportunity to witness live performances by violin soloist Bogdan Costache, who performed Tango; Tico Tico; and Bella Ciao.

The show then continued with Funiculi Funicula sung by Druce, Menini, Alfio Grasso, Silvan, and Vrasmas; La Donna E Mobile by Menini; Second Vals by the orchestra; O Mio Babbino Caro by Druce; Vissi D’Artte by Silvan; and Nessun Dorma by Menini.

To top it all off, the orchestra delivered two special pieces and one song by Annamaria Bulzan, along with our childhood favorite, “Rasa Sayang”.

The spectacular Borneo Opera Festival concluded on an unforgettable note, as Bogdan Costache and the orchestra returned to the stage for an encore performance of “Bella Ciao”.