With voices that soar and grace that emanates, sopranos occupy a powerful place on stage – from their imperious presence, and dramatic narrative, to the vulnerability of their voices: opera singers seep into human emotions and bleed into a beautiful art form. The history of opera in Egypt dates back to the second half of the 19th century, when Khedive Ismail initiated the first opera house – the Khedivial Opera House – in 1969. Since then, the Zamalek-based opera house has undergone remodeling and reconstruction, with the creme building, known as the Cairo Opera House, becoming the center of arts and culture in Egypt. Nabila Erian One of the most prominent opera singers in Egypt, soprano Nabila Erian’s musical journey as a professional opera vocalist started in 1960. In 1958, Erian enrolled in the first class of the Cairo Conservatoire for music and became the first Egyptian to sing La Traviata, the Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi at the Cairo Opera House in 1964. Erian was the first Egyptian soprano to sing a translated international opera in Arabic. She also sang the first Arabic opera, Anas el-Wugood (Delight of the…
