Puccini’s masterpiece Tosca made its debut on 30 and 31 October on the stage of the Abay Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Almaty, in a visionary production by Stefano Poda – one of the most significant productions of the Teatro Regio in Turin. The production is the result of close collaboration between the Embassy of Italy in Kazakhstan and the Italian Cultural Institute in Almaty.
Antonello De Riu, the Italian Ambassador to Kazakhstan said: “With this production of Tosca we wanted to demonstrate that Italian culture is not merely an extraordinary heritage to be preserved, but a living, contemporary reality, capable of innovating and engaging with the future. The collaboration between the Teatro Regio in Turin and the Abay Theatre is the result of a journey that the Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Almaty have pursued with conviction, being aware that cultural diplomacy can create concrete opportunities for collaboration, the exchange of expertise and professional development.”
Mathieu Jouvin, Director of the Teatro Regio, said:“We are particularly delighted that this production of Tosca has been well received by audiences in Kazakhstan, because it perfectly exemplifies two fundamental aspects of our identity: the desire to support highly original artistic projects and the commitment to building solid international relations. Our partnership with Stefano Poda is an integral part of the Teatro Regio’s recent history: on our stage, he has brought to life some of his most important productions, culminating in his being awarded the Abbiati Prize for La Juive.
The performance marked a significant milestone in the international outreach of the Abay Theatre, founded in 1934 and, ever since, a cornerstone of the Kazakh operatic tradition, engaging in an increasingly close dialogue with Italy and its cultural heritage.
