The New Year’s Concert at the Fenice Theatre is a fourfold: December 29, 30, 31, and January 1 are the dates. It’s become its own tradition over the years, since its first edition in 2004 with conductor Lorin Maazel. The upcoming concert will be conducted by Daniel Harding, with performances by the resident Fenice Orchestra, the Choir, soprano Federica Lombardi, and tenor Freddie De Tommaso. Englishman Daniel Harding was an enfant prodige of classical music, and his professional career began as early as in his late teens under the patronage of Simon Rattle first, and Claudio Abbado later.

The concert’s programme lists arias, duets, and choruses from famous opera and symphony works. It always ends with a performance of Libiam ne’ lieti calici from Verdi’s Traviata. The Fenice Theatre took on no less than the Wiener Philharmoniker, whose Neujahrskonzert has been held every year since 1939. We can only hope that this ideal musical bridge from Venice to Vienna can extend all the way over to Ukraine in real song of freedom.