For Marianna Musotto, playing Verdi’s "Aida" at the World Youth Forum in November was a joint homage to her homeland, Italy, and her host country, Egypt.
Bringing in foreign musicians such as the young Italian trumpeter who joined in September is one of several initiatives by the Cairo Opera House to modernize its image. The goal is to lure a diverse audience and revive some of its old glory from the 1950s and '60s.