Listen to the article
While Lebanon faces multiple crises, the Al Bustan Festival stood up to adversity this year by celebrating a highly symbolic double anniversary: its 30th year of existence and the centennial of Puccini’s passing. It was in this challenging context that the lights turned on Wednesday night on the stage of the Emile Bustani auditorium, carrying a message of resilience.
Under the direction of Laura Lahoud, the worthy daughter of the festival’s illustrious founder Mirna Bustani, the anniversary edition was able to take place despite a prickly context. Given the geopolitical tensions in the South, one might have expected that the movements of artists would be hindered. Fortunately, this was not the case.
A prelude to 15 days of exceptional concerts, the opening night lived up to all its promises with a vibrant medley of Puccini’s most beautiful works. The crystalline voices of soprano Valentina Boi and tenor Marco Berti transported a captivated audience, offering a musical escape as moving as it was salvific in these troubled times.
Several international stars have specially traveled to Lebanon for the event or will do so in the coming days, braving the current political tensions. This is the case with the virtuoso pianist Boris Berezovsky, the prodigy Alexandre Kantorow, winner of numerous awards, and the young Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich, all expected soon in Beirut.
On this Wednesday evening, in a packed room vibrating in unison with the crystalline voices of the soprano and tenor, one could feel a breeze of hope. “When the tenor began Nessun Dorma in its powerful finale, I got shivers all over,” shared Leila M. Like her, many spectators were keen to be present to reaffirm the importance of the culture of life. In the buzzing corridors of the auditorium between pieces, smiles could be seen on everyone’s faces—that of Laura Lahoud, moved and proud to have successfully led this festival despite the difficulties, as well as those of the artists, who were visibly happy to share their common passion for music with the Lebanese public.
On stage, encores and standing ovations followed one after the other. The legendary arias from Puccini’s most famous operas resonated as a message of hope, that of a Lebanon indeed wounded, but whose artistic and resilient soul is more alive than ever.
An evening thus marked by emotion, but also and above all by the undying hope in these musical tomorrows that the Al Bustan Festival will undoubtedly continue to weave, against all odds.
