Epic 'Aida' revival marks NCPA festival opening night

The NCPA staging is the acclaimed 2015 version, helmed by Italian director Francesco Micheli, with stage design by Academy Award winner Ezio Frigerio and costumes by Franca Squarciapino. American conductor Pinchas Steinberg — returning to the NCPA following his 2019 success with Jacques Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann — led the performance with both precision and emotional depth.

From the opening notes of the prelude, the audience was transported to ancient Egypt. A vast desert landscape and flowing riverbanks set the tone for a drama that unfolds amid war and forbidden love.

Spanish tenor Jorge de Leon portrays the heroic Radames, with his bright, expressive voice. Italian soprano Maria Teresa Leva brought both tenderness and resilience to the title role, capturing Aida's internal conflict between love and duty with nuanced control.