On Friday 7 August the spotlight will turn on the ancient theater of Taormina for a staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco destined to remain engraved in the memory. The sold out events in Syracuse and Tindari are proof of this. It is certainly one of the most important events included in the program of the Opera Festival of the Stone Theaters and organized by the Sicilian Opera Choir. The event promises to be of exceptional historical significance: as President Munafò explains, the work will also be translated into sign language (LIS).
The prestigious and passionate baton of the Spanish conductor Salvador Vázquez will once again rise on the podium of the Festival’s resident Symphony Orchestra, called upon to release all the energy and vigor of Verdi’s score. Munafò, a prominent member of the opera choir, is also its president and therefore involved, together with Maestro Francesco Costa, in the organization of a festival which has almost one event a day on the programme.
President Munafò, Nabucco is marking a triumphal path in this 2026 Festival. Let’s start from the numbers and the enthusiasm: after the overwhelming success at the Greek Theater in Syracuse last 18 July and the sold-out record for tomorrow’s stage in Tindari, what is the climate in which you are preparing to conquer Taormina?
«It’s an uncontainable wave of emotion! The warmth with which the public welcomed our Nabucco in Syracuse was something visceral, an embrace from thousands of people which confirmed the extraordinary strength of this production. Tomorrow in Tindari we will experience another magical ‘sold out’ night in the theater that we consider our home, cradle of the Gods. These results are not simple figures: they are living proof that great opera, when done with passion, rigor and authentic energy, knows how to speak to people’s hearts and fill history with life.”
On August 7th the Festival arrives at the Ancient Theater of Taormina for what promises to be the evening event of the entire Sicilian summer…
«Absolutely yes. August 7th in Taormina will not be a simple concert, but a real appointment with history. We present the only opera scheduled for the entire 2026 season at the Teatro Antico. Bringing Verdi’s great architecture to the most iconic and famous auditorium in the Mediterranean is an immense honor for us, but also a huge responsibility towards culture and towards the public who come to Sicily from all over the world to experience the magic of the Teatro di Pietra.»
In addition to the exclusivity of the title, this production brings with it a message of unprecedented social and cultural revolution: Nabucco in LIS.
«This is the turning point we are most proud of. The Nabucco on 7 August will mark a historic milestone in the field of accessibility: the opera production will be simultaneously translated into Italian Sign Language (LIS). Thanks to the synergy with the National Deaf Organization and the University of Parma, we break down every barrier. The Work, by its nature, was created to move souls and speak to the soul; with the LIS service we make this heritage truly universal. The “Va, pensiero” will not only be sung and played with devastating orchestral and choral power, but will be visible, tangible and accessible to all. Beauty must not exclude anyone: it must unite, welcome and excite.»
What should the spectator expect who will cross the threshold of the Ancient Theater of Taormina on August 7th?
«Get ready to live a total sensorial and emotional experience. An international cast, the grandeur of our choral and orchestral masses, direction and scenography designed to communicate intimately with the thousand-year-old stones and the sea on the horizon. It will be a night in which the sacredness of Verdi’s myth meets social innovation. I invite everyone not to miss this event: on August 7th in Taormina we won’t just have shows, we will go and caress eternity.»