The upcoming screenings from New York’s Metropolitan opera will present The Pearl Fishers by French composer George Bizet on 16 January at the Cairo Opera House small hall. 

The Pearl Fishers is a story of desire, longing, love, betrayal and vengeance. 

The original opera is set in Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) in undefined ancient times.

The Metropolitan production, starring renowned German soprano Diana Damrau as Leïla, a beautiful Hindu priestess of Brahma, is set in an unknown location in the Far East. She will be joined by tenor Matthew Polenzani as Leila’s suitor and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien (pronunciation: Maryoosh Kvyetchen). The Metropolitan Orchestra will be conducted by Italian Gianandrea Noseda.

The opera will be brought to Cairo, Alexandria and Gouna resort on the Red Sea in high definition screenings, an initiative launched by the Metropolitan Opera in December 2006.

The project has become very popular, gaining a total of almost one million viewers worldwide in its second season.

Today, over 70 countries across six continents -- over 2000 screens (including 750 in the USA) -- have joined the network.

In October 2010, Egypt introduced the transmissions of Met Opera at Gouna (Red Sea) and the Cairo Opera House. In October 2015, Bibliotheca Alexandrina joined the network of international screenings.

It is important to add that the license for Met’s transmissions in Egypt are covered by the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and the Mahmoud Abdalla Foundation.

Programme:
Saturday 16 January, 8pm
Cairo Opera House, small hall, Cairo
Biblitoheca Alexandrina, Alexandria

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