Giuseppe Verdi, born and raised just 20 miles from Parma, quickly became the city’s adopted native son as his fame soared following the success of Nabucco in 1840. The Teatro Regio in Parma has been central to the celebration of Verdi’s operatic genius since 1843, when he conducted Nabucco at the theater. From that point forward, the Regio embraced Verdi’s works, presenting every one of his operas, including adaptations of early versions like I Lombardi, which became Jérusalem for Paris, and Macbeth, which underwent revision in 1865. Verdi’s operas have remained at the heart of the Regio’s programming, with the centennial years of his birth in 1813 and his death in 1951 devoted exclusively to his works, highlighting Parma’s deep connection to its most cherished composer.
In 2001, the centenary of Verdi’s death sparked a year-long celebration at the Teatro Regio, with a series of performances including his Requiem and six of his operas. The Teatro’s dedication to Verdi reached new heights in 2013 during the “bicentenario,” which featured concerts by world-class orchestras like the La Scala Orchestra and the Orchestre National de France. Highlights of the celebrations included performances by renowned singers like Carlo Bergonzi and Mirella Freni, and a special concert by the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, which included a concert version of Act 2 of Aida. Since the 1990s, the Teatro Regio has also been home to the annual Festival Verdi, which each October celebrates the composer’s legacy with full productions, concerts, and events, ensuring that Verdi’s music remains alive and vibrant in the city that claims him as its own.
