World Opera Day marked on October 25, celebrating an art form that grew from Italy

World Opera Day is celebrated with enthusiasm across the world on October 25 every year. The day is not merely a celebration of a musical form. Opera is an old, classical art that has enriched human culture, emotion and the world of drama for centuries. The day is dedicated to preserving and promoting it. Opera is a unique blend of music, dialogue, acting, dance and grand stage design. Highlighting the importance of the art worldwide and connecting the new generation with it is the main purpose of the day.

The day was formally launched in 2019, when three well-known international opera bodies, OPERA America, Opera Europa and Opera Latinoamérica, jointly declared October 25 as World Opera Day.

There is also a historical reason behind the choice of date. It is the birth anniversary of the celebrated opera composers Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II. Both made a major contribution to taking opera across the world, and the date was fixed to honour that contribution.

Many people ask what opera actually is. Put simply, it is a form of Western theatre in which the whole story is presented through music and song. It features live singing by performers, an orchestra, dramatic acting and, depending on the story, dance.

Opera began in Florence, Italy, in the late 16th century. Jacopo Peri composed the first opera, Dafne, in 1597. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Baroque era, opera grew hugely popular across Europe. Over time two main types became famous. One is Opera Seria, based on serious and dramatic themes. The other is Opera Buffa, built on comic and light-hearted themes. Today the art is kept alive in the opera houses of major cities such as Vienna, Paris, London, Milan and New York.

On World Opera Day, concerts, live performances, exhibitions, workshops and free online webinars are held in different countries. Young artists use them to present their work to the world. Schools and colleges also run programmes so that opera does not remain confined to a small classical audience and reaches every section of society. Experts in human rights and culture say no other medium expresses deep emotions such as love, anger, sorrow, joy and sacrifice as powerfully as opera.

In the digital age, with new forms of entertainment at hand, preserving a classical art is a big challenge. Even so, opera has embraced technology. Through digital platforms and live streaming, it has begun to draw new audiences. Its place in nurturing peace of mind, cultural identity and human sensibility remains unmatched.