The Heliopolis Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Alberto Veronesi and the voices of Paoletta Marrocu and Amadi Lagha were the stars of the traditional Christmas Concert organised by the Italian Consulate General at the Municipal Theatre of Sao Paulo.
The Theatre recorded a full house with 1,500 spectators who appreciated the decision to combine great Italian professionals with a youth orchestra, the fruit of an extraordinary social work conducted in Sao Paulo’s largest favela: the Heliopolis Orchestra of the Baccarelli School that Maestro Veronesi invited to soon go to Italy after seeing how good they are. The notes of Italian opera, and especially of Puccini, did the rest, casting a spell on the audience. In addition to the presence of Italian Ambassador Antonio Bernardini, top Brazilian officials and the Consulate’s habitual guests, many tickets were distributed to associations of persons of Italian descent, social media followers and to whoever went to the Consulate to have their passport issued or to take an oath of citizenship.