TOLEDO — Toledo Opera invites audiences to explore the music, food and history behind one of opera’s greatest works with “Aida: Homelands,” a one-night cultural event at 6 tonight at TolHouse, 1447 N. Summit St., in downtown Toledo. Presented by the opera’s Audience Development Committee, the evening previews the company’s upcoming “Aida” production, which opens Oct. 16.
The event explores the Ethiopian culture at the heart of Verdi’s masterpiece, centered on an Ethiopian princess captured and enslaved in Egypt and torn between love and devotion to her homeland. Guests will hear traditional Azmari music, enjoy an Ethiopian buffet from Taste of Ethiopia in Detroit, and hear a presentation by historical musicologist Ryan Enbright on the opera’s cultural and historical context.
Special guest soprano Mariam Battistelli, born in Ethiopia and raised in Italy, will speak about her own journey and her connection to the cultures explored in the evening. Battistelli has performed at houses including Teatro alla Scala, the Vienna State Opera and the Glyndebourne Festival. Tickets are $75 and include the evening’s programming and buffet.