From Mupa: Gioachino Rossini, author of so many opera buffas, including the unsurpassable Il barbiere di Siviglia, was more inclined toward humour than any other genius in music history.

Of course, the overall formula is not quite this simple: in addition to the comic operas there is also a series of serious pieces - and we must not forget that it was with such a work that he closed his oeuvre early on in his life: Guillaume Tell.

One of the virtues of Müpa Budapest's gala concert is how it will present both faces of the musician, and another highly promising feature is the inclusion of superbly crafted overtures along with the arias. An evening full of the very essence of Rossini.

The three singers in the concert - mezzo-soprano Dorottya Láng, tenor István Horváth and bass-baritone Péter Kálmám are leading Hungarian vocalists with careers marked by a multitude of impressive international successes.

The young German conductor Nikolas Nägele is the pride of Deutsche Oper Berlin and has also been lauded by audiences at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, in addition to serving as an assistant to Christian Thielemann, one of the greatest conductors of our era, at the Salzburg and Bayreuth festivals.

The versatility of the Pannon Philharmonic, the accompanying ensemble well versed in so many different styles, hardly needs to be emphasised.

Elegantly arranged into different groups, the programme offers excerpts (including duets) from popular works, with each of the opera's arias preceded by the work's overture - thus offering an encounter with the unforgettable introductory music to L'italiana in Algeri, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Guillaume Tell.

The arias will take listeners to a world of diverse emotions and moods: some moments will make us smile, and others will leave us deeply moved.

Place: Palace Of Arts

Address: 1095 Budapest, Komor Marcell u. 1.