Tenor Angel Romero, from Houston, was in Mumbai in 2024 as runner-up and winner of Zarzuela Prize at Operalia — an International competition, organised by legendary tenor Placido Domingo, in association with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

Once again, he returns to NCPA for a concert with the SOI Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Italian conductor Marco Alibrando on July 15. He says, “The repertoire will include a few of my favourite Italian composers, including ‘Addio Sogni di Gloria’ by Carlo Innocenzi, ‘Chitarra Romana’ by Eldo di Lazzaro, ‘In Solitaria Stanza’ by Giuseppe Verdi, and ‘Occhi di Fats’ by Luigi Denza.”

This is the first time Angel and Marco will perform together. Says the conductor, “I have always heard wonderful things about Angel and have admired his voice” and Angel hopes this will be the “first of many.”

Though the programme will include British composer Gustav Holst’s ‘St Paul’s Suite’ and German composer Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘String Symphony No 7’, the concert’s main purpose is to celebrate the Italian musical heritage. Says Marco, “This tour came together through a shared vision of celebrating this heritage with audiences beyond Italy. Last year, I was invited to Mumbai as cover conductor to Zubin Mehta, and talking with the NCPA management we thought that it would be great to collaborate for an Italian programme for the chamber orchestra.”

Marco is also a principal conductor at the Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar, and the music director of VoceAllOpera. He believes Italian music is popular across the globe because of its timeless emotional language. “Composers such as Gioachino Rossini, Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Antonio Vivaldi remain central to concert halls and opera houses across continents,” he says. Angel adds that crossover artistes — tenor Andrea Bocelli — have added to the popularity of Italian music among contemporary audiences.

Marco says it is impossible to choose a favourite Italian composer as the country has made such an enormous contribution. “However, I have a deep admiration for Rossini, whose brilliance and wit are unmatched, and for Verdi, whose understanding of human emotion is truly profound. We shall be playing their works in Mumbai,” he adds.

As a singer, Angel constantly goes back to Italian composers — Verdi, Gaetano Donizetti and Vincenzo Bellini. He elaborates, “Verdi gives tenors heroic melodies, soaring climaxes, and unforgettable dramatic moments. Donizetti lets tenors display elegance, emotional depth, vocal agility, and expressive high notes. Bellini rewards tenors with long, flowing phrases, beautiful legato, and refined musical expression.”

Both musicians believe that chamber music has its own charm, in comparison to big symphonic orchestras. Says Angel, “Chamber music provides the intimacy of working with a small group of musicians. It allows music to be stripped back, sung and played with tenderness, lightness and with such care.”

Marco points out that unlike a large symphony orchestra, where the sound is expansive and monumental, chamber music allows every individual voice to be clearly heard. “It demands a heightened level of communication, trust and responsiveness among the musicians,” he says.

The conductor says he is aware of the Symphony Orchestra of India’s remarkable presence in the international classical music community. “I have followed their journey and artistic development and seen how they have achieved their place among the top professional orchestras in Asia.“

According to Marco, every orchestra has its own identity and character. “One of the most enjoyable things about conducting is developing the orchestra’s identity. The first step to achieving that is having musicians with whom the tune is strongest and the rehearsals are advanced. I see rehearsals as a time to let the musicians express themselves and discover the music before the performance, as well as a time to address the technical concerns of the notes and rhythms.”

He feels that in a chamber orchestra, it’s important to encourage an atmosphere of collaboration, where every musician feels involved in shaping the performance.

With Angel accompanying him on the vocal compositions, the audience is sure to experience a captivating offering from the Italian repertoire.