it as a challenge for women also, to sing, to perform music which was written for a man. the photo on the cover of this bestselling 2020 album depicted julia as a male, and she dedicated it to farinelli. cecelia bartoli is a real female trailblazer. in 2017, she was the first woman to sing solo with the papal choir at the sistine chapel. this was an amazing experience, because to sing in the sistine chapel i mean, already the acoustic is magnificent, but then, being there, you are so inspired. it was really a unique moment in my life, in my career. in 2012, she took up her post as artistic director at the saltzberg whitsun festival. and in 2023, she will again be the first woman in that post
at monte carlo 0pera. as artistic director, cecelia sees how technology rushed in to save the day during lockdowns making operatic performances available online for millions to enjoy. we had to start more with using technology and using streaming, for instance. during lockdowns, opera singers had to embrace new ways of performing. the popular peruvian born tenor, juan diego florez, sang in an empty theatre at the state opera house, in vienna. such concerts were streamed and broadcast. could this become a permanent way of bringing opera to wider audiences? well, singing to the masses isjuan diego s blood.