A Night of Prestige: La Traviata Captivates 3,500 at Taormina’s Ancient Theater

by Mary Jane Cryons August 19, 2025

The long-awaited new staging of Verdi’s La Traviata made its dazzling debut at the Ancient Theater of Taormina on August 17, 2025, marking the first time acclaimed director Enrico Castiglione has brought this masterpiece to life in this historic venue. Over his 13 years of productions for Taormina Arte and the Taormina Opera Festival, Castiglione has delivered internationally broadcast opera events featuring some of the world’s greatest voices, but this Traviata set a new standard for scale, artistry, and emotional impact.

Besa Llujiqi as Violetta

At the heart of the triumph was Maestro Stefano Vignati, whose conducting lifted the performance to extraordinary heights. Leading the superb Orchestra of the Taormina Opera Festival, over eighty musicians strong, Vignati shaped Verdi’s score with elegance, authority, and remarkable dramatic sensitivity. Every tempo breathed with life, every phrase was sculpted with clarity and emotion, and the orchestra responded with incandescent precision. Under his baton, the music surged with passion yet retained an exquisite balance, creating a sound world that carried the audience through every moment of Violetta’s tragic journey. Rarely has this score sounded so fresh, so vital, and so moving.

Having previously reviewed Maestro Vignati conducting the Orchestra del Friuli Venezia Giulia in Venice for the world premiere of Raphael Fusco’s Regina Coeli, I was eager to hear him again in opera repertoire. Finding myself in Taormina at the same time as his Traviata, I seized the chance, and was rewarded with a performance that reaffirmed him as one of today’s most compelling interpreters of Verdi.

The Coro Lirico Italiano Vincenzo Bellini, expertly prepared by Pietro Valguarnera, added their own force and refinement, singing with precision, warmth, and dramatic conviction. Together with the orchestra, they provided a foundation of musical richness that elevated the evening into the realm of the unforgettable.

Enrico Castiglione’s staging was equally memorable. The vast forty-meter stage bloomed with five thousands of camellias, over five thousand in all, transforming each act into a poetic tableau that evoked the world of Dumas’s La Dame aux Camélias. Castiglione, who also designed the set sceneries and lighting, delivered a fully immersive theatrical experience that blended grandeur with intimacy, enhancing the music rather than overwhelming it.

The cast was led by Besa Llugiqi, whose Violetta combined vocal brilliance with heartbreaking dramatic truth. Raffaele Abete brought ardor and elegance to Alfredo, while Gangsoon Kim as Giorgio Germont, maybe too young for that role, has sung although with authority and resonant depth. The supporting cast, including Lara Rotili’s spirited Flora, and Luciano Buono’s Gastone.

Verdi's La traviata, Taormina Ancient Theater 2025 production

Equally impressive was the audience itself. The 3,500 people who filled the cavea of the Teatro Antico included an extraordinary roster of distinguished guests: general directors and superintendents from leading Italian foundations, American theaters, and Chinese opera houses, as well as representatives from RAI Television. Alongside these industry leaders, VIPs and opera lovers from around the world created an atmosphere of true international prestige. As a part of the audience, my impression was that I could have been at Santa Fe or the Arena di Verona, such was the level of artistry, scale, and global resonance achieved in Taormina that evening.

With its sweeping music, lavish staging, and above all, the inspired leadership of Maestro Stefano Vignati, this Traviata was more than a production, it was a defining cultural event. The Taormina Opera Festival has once again confirmed its position as a global magnet for artistic excellence, offering an evening that those fortunate enough to attend will carry in their memories for years to come.