Venice:

Teatro La Fenice: Meaning "the Phoenix" in Italian, this name is anything but coincidental considering it was first built in 1774 and has burned to the ground and been rebuilt twice since. Many consider this Italy's finest opera house, which is also the home to many fine orchestral performances.

Teatro Malibran: This historic Venetian opera house dates to the 17^th century and was later one of Europe's most prolific opera and music venues. Today, the richly decorated Malibran offers guests amazing performances, which makes it a must-visit destination for opera lovers.

Milan:

Teatro alla Scala: La Scala opened on August 3, 1778, to become one of Italy's longest-standing and most recognized opera houses. If you love opera, or just want to see a historic venue for the arts, booking tickets here is a must.

Rome:

Teatro dell'Opera: Founded in the late 19^thcentury, Rome's historic opera house hosted the inaugural performance of the great Puccini's Tosca. This is also Rome's most prolific stage for ballet and symphonic music.

Florence:

Teatro Communale di Firenze: This, Florence's central operahouse, was inaugurated on May 17, 1862, with a production of Donizetti's Luciadi Lammermoor. Of particular note is the theater's connection with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino music festival.

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: This is one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious opera festivals, an annual event that takes place between May and June.

Amici della Musica: This century-old and very prestigious society is dedicated to maintaining Florence as a musical center in Europe.  Throughout the year both orchestral and operatic performances are held at the Teatro della Pergola.

Boboli Gardens Opera Festival: This opera and music festival takes place in June in the enchanted scenery of one of Florence's more lovely gardens.

Palermo:

Teatro Massimo: With its striking exterior redolent of ancient and classical Sicilian architecture, the Teatro Massimo is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the ears with its fabled acoustics. Boasting one of Europe finest opera companies and being Italy's single largest theater, this is truly worth a visit for both opera buffs and novices alike.

Teatro di San Carlo: This impressive theater was built in only six months in 1737 for the birthday of King Charles. While it may not be as celebrated as the opera houses in the more northern parts of Italy, SanCarlo is a leading opera company that has attracted the best and the brightest in opera for nearly three hundred years.

Verona:

Arena Summer Opera Festival: Each summer, droves of opera enthusiasts come to Verona to fill the 20,000-plus seats of this Ancient Roman amphitheater (nearly identical to the Roman Colosseum) to experience stunning opera performances under the stars.

2010 Performances:

Turandot
Friday 18 June 9:15 pm
Thursday 01 July 9:15 pm
Friday 16 July 9:15 pm
Saturday 24 July 9:15 pm
Friday 30 July 9:15 pm
Friday 13 August 9:00 pm
Friday 20 August 9:00 pm

Aida
Saturday 19 June 9:15 pm
Friday 25 June 9:15 pm
Saturday 03 July 9:15 pm
Thursday 08 July 9:15 pm
Tuesday 13 July 9:15 pm
Sunday 18 July 9:15 pm
Thursday 22 July 9:15 pm
Sunday 25 July 9:15 pm
Tuesday 27 July 9:15 pm
Saturday 31 July 9:15 pm
Sunday 08 August 9:00 pm
Tuesday 10 August 9:00 pm
Sunday 15 August 9:00 pm
Tuesday 17 August 9:00 pm
Sunday 22 August 9:00 pm
Thursday 26 August 9:00 pm
Sunday 29 August 9:00 pm

Madama Butterfly
Saturday 26 June 9:15 pm
Friday 02 July 9:15 pm
Friday 09 July 9:15 pm
Wednesday 14 July 9:15 pm
Saturday 17 July 9:15 pm
Wednesday 21 July 9:15 pm
Wednesday 28 July 9:15 pm
Friday 06 August 9:00 pm

Carmen
Saturday 10 July 9:15 pm
Thursday 15 July 9:15 pm
Tuesday 20 July 9:15 pm
Friday 23 July 9:15 pm
Thursday 29 July 9:15 pm
Thursday 12 August 9:00 pm
Wednesday 18 August 9:00 pm
Saturday 21 August 9:00 pm
Tuesday 24 August 9:00 pm
Friday 27 August 9:00 pm

Il Trovatore
Saturday 07 August 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11 August 9:00 pm
Saturday 14 August 9:00 pm
Thursday 19 August 9:00 pm
Wednesday 25 August 9:00 pm
Saturday 28 August 9:00 pm

Ravello:

Ravello Festival: Also known popularly as the "Wagner Festival," this summer event pays tribute to Italy's great opera heritage and to the genius of Richard Wagner, who was so enamored by this coastal town's beauty that he was inspired to write his famous Parsifal. While there is still an emphasis on opera, today's Ravello Festival includes a wide variety of music, from chamber music to jazz.  June through October.

Ferrara:

Buskers Festival: Each August, Italy's greatest street musicians come to the great Renaissance city of Ferrara to put their talents on display. This should be on the radar screen of anyone who loves modern and world music.

Italian Riviera:

San Remo Festival: Italy's great modern/pop music festival attracts the best artists from Italy and around the globe. This world-famous celebration takes place during the month of March.

Getting Tickets:

Tickets can be difficult to come by, especially when trying to book at the last minute. We have the resources to get you tickets for just about any show or musical performance you can imagine; however, to ensure availability, we urge you to let us know which show(s) you are interested in as far in advance as possible. If you are booking a package with us, we are happy to handle your request for Musical event tickets.

The price of the tickets varies greatly, so the final price will be given to you within 24 hours of your request. We offer the premium service of hand delivery of the tickets to your ItalyVacations hotel in the city of the performance.

If you have a booking number, you may email bookings@italyvacations.com to add this premium item as a request.