At the same meeting, the Board approved the closing balance for 2009, which was positive for the second year running, with a profit of €565,422.
The fact that the financial years 2008 and 2009 were economically successful, even in the context of an international economic crises which has penalised consumption in all sectors, has restored confidence, both inside and outside the Arena.

 

Turandot  by Giacomo Puccini, the opening title, was presenting a brand new production, whilst the other four titles were revivals of already successful productions that Franco Zeffirelli designed for the biggest stage in the world: Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, Carmen by Georges Bizet and Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi.

The 2010 opera Festival has finished succesfully on August 29th. As follows some information about the closing Festival:

- 48 performances (50 in 2009) among which:

• 7 performances of Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
  
• 17 performances of  Aida by Giuseppe Verdi
  
• 8 performances of Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini
  
• 10 performances of Carmen by Georges Bizet
  
• 6 performances of Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi
  
  The most attended opera has been Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, with an average of 9.919 spectators per night, followed by Carmen by Georges Bizet with 9.316 spectators,  Turandot by Giacomo Puccini with 9.270, and finally Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini and Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi, with an average of 8.000 spectators per night.
  

 

 

This persons, have had the possibility to attend the performance from a unique and exclusive area, the closest to the stage, where normally only members of staff and the directors sit.

The first appointment of ‘Dreams come true, protagonist for a night’ has been on June 25th  Aida, to follow with the premiere of Madama Butterfly on June 26th.
Thereafter, ‘Dreams come true’ has became a daily ritual, regularly repeated during all performances until August 29th. Just few minutes before the beginning of the performance, the spotlight has capture the attention of 15.000 spectators and floodlight the lucky one, who has became ‘Protagonist for a night’ in the biggest opera house in the world.

 

Fiorenza Cedolins debuted in the Arena in 1999, as the heroine of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, with Giuliano Montaldo as director and Keri-Lynn Wilson as conductor. She later performed Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem (2000), Il Trovatore (2001) and Aida (2002 and 2003), also by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (2004 and 2006) and La Bohème (2005), Tosca again (2004), and also Carmen and Turandot again (2009).