Puccini’s La Bohème at the Opéra de Monte Carlo this autumn

As part of this season’s tributes to the legendary Giacomo Puccini, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo will be dedicating four dates to one of the Italian composer’s greatest works, La Bohème, but it doesn’t stop there as the company has pledged an extra special experience for fans, who can already access bountiful “enriched digital content” linked to the famous tale. 

Puccini’s celebrated opera, La Bohème, is coming to the Grimaldi Forum next month for a four-night extravaganza that will culminate in a spellbinding invite-only performance for Monaco’s National Day festivities on 19th November.  

La Bohème, arguably one of Puccini’s most iconic pieces, alongside La Rondine and Tosca, follows the melancholy story of four creative types living in poverty in a dreary 19th century Parisian attic flat whose lives are forever changed one cold Christmas Eve. A chance knock on the door from the tragic and beautiful Mimi leaves poor poet Rodolfo desperately in love but hopeless as he soon realises Mimi is not long for the world.  

Written between 1893 and 1897, La Bohème is one of opera’s most endearing and enduring works. Now, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo is hoping to add another layer to the experience of the show by offering fans the addition of “enriched digital content”in the form of an act-by-act synopsis, biographies on some of the principal players involved in making the show, interviews, analysis, historical context, photographs and more.  

Conducted by Marco Armiliato and stage directed by Jean-Louis Grinda, La Bohème will be performed 8th, 10th, 13th and 19th November. Mimi will be portrayed by Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov will play Rodolfo.   

For more information on the performances, visit the website here.

Read related:

The masterpieces of Puccini: Opéra de Monte-Carlo to honour late Italian composer this autumn

 

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Photo source: Monaco Communications Department

Passion Sea’s Flowers4art to bring green walls and environmental art to Monaco

A new urban art project and showcase designed to promote sustainable city living and ocean preservation is coming to Monaco next month, but the deadline for submissions is fast approaching. Here are all the details on Passion Sea’s Flowers4art concept, from what the event is all about to how to get involved.

The Passion Sea association, founded in 2015 by Helga Piaget, is dedicated to raising awareness of the essential need to preserve the world’s oceans and marine life through an inspiring blend of projects and programmes that intersect art and education.

As Piaget told Monaco Life in an interview earlier this year, “The rivers, lakes, seas and oceans are vital for our survival on Planet Earth, they are our responsibility… The world must cherish the waters and keep them clean for our health and the health of our planet. We try to spread this message to a wide audience through events and media around the globe.”

See more: Interview: Helga Piaget, the founder of Passion Sea, on her vision for a cleaner planet

Passion Sea is keeping to its Monaco roots with its latest project, Flowers4art, which will be held at the Hôtel Métropole from 28th November to 1st December under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco and in line with the Principality’s National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

The event will feature the living green walls and vertical gardens of 10 landscapers and garden designers, with the goal of inspiring “a new level of creativity and green thinking in city living.”

“Clean rivers, seas and oceans start with changing whatever we do on land,” explains Piaget. “Creating a healthier environment in our cities improves the air quality; on our planet, everything is connected. Implementing green walls into urban and interior architecture is not just decoration, as they offer a range of advantages. These walls help lower outdoor temperatures and combat the heat island effect in cities. The Flowers4art showcase would like to suggest the best practices to introduce them into urban areas, emphasising minimal water usage and effective irrigation techniques. For cities like Monaco, it is important to have projects that allow vegetation to embellish the city while using as little floor space as possible.”

In addition to the main display, the event will also spotlight environmental artworks produced by children from around the world in collaboration with Passion Sea. Wannenes Monaco will lead a charity auction to support the ongoing work of the association, and a respected figure and garden designer with ties to the living wall movement is expected to make an appearance.

To be part of the competition line-up, send your designs to the Flowers4art team at Passion Sea by 20th October. For more information and contact details, click here.

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Photo source: Elifin Realty, Unsplash

Photos: Princess Charlene celebrates students’ creativity in Impis U16 rugby kit design

Princess Charlene of Monaco was all smiles as she showed her support for a students’ design competition that produced the new jersey for the Impis U16 rugby team, an initiative backed by her Foundation. 

The Monegasque Rugby Federation, in collaboration with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, recently hosted the creative competition that brought together over 80 eager students from Collège Charles III. The contest was aimed at designing the new jersey for the Impis U16 rugby team and saw participation from students across all secondary school grades, from 6ème to 3ème.

The event was attended by notable figures including Princess Charlene of Monaco, Monaco’s Director of Education Jean-Philippe Vinci, and Gareth Wittstock, Secretary General of the Princess Charlene Foundation and Honorary President of the Monegasque Rugby Federation.

The winning design was praised for its artistic creativity and will be worn by the young Impis U16 players at the prestigious Dubai 7s tournament later this year. The winner received a unique jersey, signed by every player on the team, marking a special moment for the student and for Monaco’s sports community.

The Impis U16 team, composed of talented athletes from the Rugby Exchange programme, reflects the collaborative efforts between the Federation and the Foundation.

See more in the gallery below. All photos credit: Eric Mathon/Palais Princier…

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Photos: Prince Albert II in Palermo for Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean congress

Monaco’s Prince Albert II has travelled to the Sicilian capital of Palermo to participate in the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea’s 43rd congress. 

Over the weekend, Prince Albert voyaged down to the Italian island of Sicily to meet with his fellow members of the board of the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea (CIESM) on Sunday 13th October ahead of the opening day of the organisation’s major congress on Monday 14th October. 

Prince Albert, a sovereign renowned for his commitment championing environmental and maritime conservation projects and legislation, started his trip at the Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri, where he was welcomed by Professor Massimo Midiri, the rector of the University of Palermo, in the presence of Anne Eastwood, Monaco’s Ambassador to Italy, Laura Giugliano, the director of CIESM, and Tidiani Couma, Monaco’s National Delegate. 

It was here that the Prince chaired a meeting of the CIESM board in the run-up to the organisation’s 43rd congress session. 

According to representatives for the Prince, the primary aim of the meeting was to review the CIESM’s recent activities and discuss future opportunities to enhance scientific cooperation on pressing maritime issues in the Mediterranean region. 

See more: Prince Albert II to receive prestigious Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity

Prince Albert was then treated to a tour of the historic Palazzo Steri, a 14th-century landmark that currently serves as the rectorate of the University of Palermo. The impressive building holds important historical value, offering insights into Sicily’s medieval era and the Inquisition period. 

The 43rd CIESM congress, which is being held in the city’s Palazzo dei Normanni and Palazzo Sclafani between Monday 14th and Friday 18th October, will bring together leading scientists and researchers from around the world. The goal of the event is to address the critical environmental and maritime challenges facing the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions. 

Prince Albert’s involvement highlights Monaco’s ongoing leadership in promoting scientific collaboration and environmental preservation in the region. 

For more information about the congress, click here.

To see more photographs of Prince Albert’s Palermo trip, click on the images below:

 

 

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Photo credits. Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco