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A behind-the-scenes look at the preparations as some of the biggest names in Italian opera gather for a glittering night under the stars at the Verona Arena for an inaugural concert in July that kicked off the summer 2020 festival at the world's biggest open air arena. Zeinab Badawi meets the arena's energetic general manager and artistic director, renowned Italian soprano Cecilia Gasdia, who refused to allow the arena to be silenced by the coronavirus pandemic.

This inaugural concert, with an impressive array of top performers, is a tribute to Italy - the first country outside China to suffer from the pandemic - signalling its openness and the start of a recovery from the wounds inflicted on it by Covid-19. The evening beneath the stars is designed to serve as a beacon of hope to other countries, that through dedication, tenacity and commitment, the human spirit expressed through music cannot be silenced.