Leonhardt Auditorium

$20 per person for Museum Members and Vero Beach Opera Members

$25 for non-members

Space is limited; pre-registration is required.

Tickets include admission to the galleries. Come early to see the exhibition.

The website for the Cairo Opera House states that Aida was commissioned to open the new theatre in 1869. It says: “However, Aida had not been ready by the inauguration of the Opera House. Therefore, another masterpiece by Verdi, Rigoletto, was performed on the occasion.” Other sources say Aida was commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal that same year. Both claims are incorrect. In this enlightening lecture, Vero Beach Opera’s Master of Ceremonies Ian Campbell sifts through the sands of time to reveal the truth about the creation of Aida and the involvement of four prominent men who were her fathers. So put on your best Indiana Jones classic fedora and join an expedition to the nineteenth century to examine the evidence yourself.