8 March-5 April. Conducted by Corrado Rovaris, directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, with Michele Pertusi, Juan Diego Florez, Vesselina Kasarova, Alfonso Antioniuzzi. This comic opera in two acts was first performed in Venice in 1813.

Tradition takes centre stage at Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan with Jean-Pierre Ponnelles historic production of LItaliana in Algeri by Rossini, here directed by Sonja Frisell. The best Rossini singers gather for this Milan production: basses Michele Pertusi and Alfonso Antoniozzi, mezzosoprano Vesselina Kasarova, who gave an acclaimed performance in Cenerentola in Pesaro a few years ago, and Juan Diego Florez, who received the prize for best tenor in Milan in 2002.