Instrumental repertoire, including standards such as Rossini’s William Tell Overture and Bizet's Farandole from L'Arlésienne, alternates with showcases for two enchanting voices: soprano Mariella Devia and tenor Massimiliano Pisapia navigate with apparent ease between more subtle bel canto touches and formidable Verdian power. As is traditional, the spectacle is capped by a crowd-pleasing, all-Verdi double header: "Va', pensiero" from Nabucco, and the perennially beloved brindisi (drinking song) from La Traviata!

La Fenice means "the phoenix," and these New Year's Concerts, now a yearly institution, began when the legendary theater reopened in 2004 following a 1996 arson that scorched the interior. This vibrant, life-affirming tribute to Italian opera is also a tribute to La Fenice's ability to rise from the ashes and bring the world's most beautiful music to opera fans everywhere.