WORLD-FAMOUS OPERA GREATS STAGE CHRISTMAS CONCERT IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Dec 20 (Hina) - Conductor Lorin Maazel, tenor Andrea Bocelli, soprano Lucia Mazzaria and the Cagliari Orchestra from Italy staged a Christmas concert at Zagreb's 'Lisinski' concert hall on Sunday. Performing arias, duets and overtures from Verdi's and Puccini's operas, the guests earned long applause of the Zagreb audience. Conductor Lorin Maazel is the director of the Bavarian Radio Symphonic Orchestra from Munich. In the last 35 years Maazel conducted 140 orchestras in more than 4,000 operas and concerts throughout the world. During the Zagreb 'Univerzijada' sports event in 1987, Maazel conducted the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and the 'Ivan Goran Kovacic' choir. Last year he conducted the Israeli Philharmonic in Zagreb. The blind tenor Andrea Bocelli made his debut at the San Remo festival. He tried his skill as a tenor for the first time in 1996, recording a series of albums of popular arias and Naples ballads. Bocelli performs in world centres with opera names such as Pavarotti and Careras. Soprano Lucia Mazzaria made her first appearance in 1987 in Puccini's 'La Bohem' in Venice's La Fenice theatre. Mazzaria was the first soprano to appear in the Egyptian performance of 'Aida' under the pyramids. The Cagliari Orchestra was established in 1933. (hina) rml