Giovani Bottesini premiered Ali Baba in 1871 in London, and received considerable acclaim and numerous performances. Later, the score disappeared. The opera had not been heard in over a century until it was resurrected in 2019 by maestro Anthony Barrese for Opera Southwest at The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Director Foad Faridzadeh reimagined the Arabian tale set in 1940’s Iran.

Photos: Lance W. Ozier of  Todos Juntos Photography