Take Me to the Opera

Culture lover Zeinab Badawi talks to two of the biggest names in opera today: Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and tenor Juan Diego Florez. She hears how Cecilia is pushing the boundaries in a traditional man's world. And she talks to Peruvian-born tenor Juan about how he uses his Latin American flair and showmanship to attract new audiences to his music.

How do new music artists tackle the very traditional culture of opera? Zeinab meets two sublime young stars who are grappling with this new world. South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha believes black performers are more accepted than in previous decades, but more needs to be done. French tenor Benjamin Bernheim is worried about the impact of social media on young singers.

Zeinab Badawi explores what is in store for opera as it embraces greater diversity and innovations. She talks to two established leading lights, Italian mezzo Cecilia Bartoli and Peruvian-born tenor Juan Diego Florez, and two rising opera stars who are fast establishing their careers as names of the future, South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and French tenor Benjamin Bernheim.

Zeinab Badawi travels to La Scala in Milan, Italy, where most opera singers dream of performing. La Scala has the largest academy in the world training hundreds of young people. Zeinab goes behind the scenes to follow four young singers from Europe, Asia and Latin America, as they are put through their paces. But do they have what it takes to become the opera stars of the future?

Zeinab Badawi travels to La Scala in Milan, one of the world's most prestigious opera houses. But what audiences do not see is the army of talent backstage who make sure that everything is right on the night. Zeinab goes behind the scenes and visits the vast workshop where teams deliver amazing sets, costumes and props. She meets those involved in staging a complex, challenging production.

Zeinab Badawi travels to Munich in Germany to meet the world's top tenor Jonas Kaufmann. He draws legions of adoring fans wherever he performs, but makes him so special? Zeinab finds out about his journey to global fame from modest beginnings on a housing development in Munich. And she hears about the pressures and sacrifices involved in becoming one of the greatest singers in operatic history.