On 1 February, the first night of the season Il Trovatore, which was directed by Yefim Maizel, opened the 34th International Opera Festival named after Fyodor Shalyapin.
The programme of the festival comprised 14 plays and concerts with the participation of stars of the world and Russian opera scene. And Giuseppe Verdi has become the most popular composer – his 5 operas were included in the theatre programme. Except Il Trovatore, they are La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aida and Nabucco.