"Summer of Love" OPERA SERATA at Sicily Belgravia

Join us for an uplifting evening of live operatic singing and classical piano music, Italian wine and food - at in Belgravia on Thursday 1st September from 6 pm.

This is a fruitful collaboration between Sicily Restaurant, famous for its authentic Italian cuisine and GS Wines, who import high quality wines from Italy. Guests can enjoy a three course dinner prepared by Sicily's chef, with 2 courses accompanied by a tasting portion of Italian wine from GS Wines, specially selected to complement the food. In addition, for the evening's entertainment, we have planned an exciting mini-concert of operatic arias, classical and popular songs, and virtuoso classical piano pieces - to be performed live by talented, accomplished singer(s) and our pianists, who will be playing the on-site baby Grand piano! To round off the evening, we will hold a mini (free) Prize raffle to win some of our wines and Italian food goodies!

 PHOTO: Gordon Stuteley, CEO GS Wines (left) wih Robert Scalzo, owner of SICILY restaurant, at the Bar at SICILY, Belgravia

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UPDATE

SAT 30 JUL LAUNCH of Ticket Sale We are delighted to announce the launch of ticket sales for our 'Summer of Love' music, dinner and wine tasting event at Sicily!

For 'Summer of Love' Opera Serata at Sicily, we have international star Italian soprano, Francesca Matta, and acclaimed mezzo-soprano, Emily Kyte (other guests singers may join the show) - and one of UK's finest accompanist, regular BBC Proms performer Caroline Jaya-Ratnam, to thrill you with a mini Concert of some of the best known arias and duets from some of the finest Italian operas - and other popular songs, plus some virtuoso classical piano solo performances from emerging talent, pianists Weng Soon Tee and Siyu Sun!

Timetable (approx.)

18:00 Arrival and Welcome Drink (Italian bubbly provided by GS Wines)

18:35 Live Performance of Operatic Arias (Part 1)(approx. 25 min)

19:00 Sicily Dinner - Starters served

20:00 Main course served

20:35 Dessert served

20:40 Live Performance of Operatic Arias (Part 2)(approx. 20 min)

21:00 Prize Draw

21:30 End of event

NB The above timetable may be subject to adjustments to facilitate smooth running and best service.

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Programme of Music

We are delighted to include a selection of arias on the theme of LOVE - a live performance of operatic singing, accompanied on the on-site Yamaha Baby Grand Piano - to include popular favourites such as:

• Caro Nome from Verdi's Rigoletto (soprano solo)
• Dido's Lament from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (mezzo-soprano solo)
• Flower duet from Delibes' Lakme (soprano and mezzo duet)

and more!

NB. The programme of music may be subject to change nearer the time; performers and final programme to be decided.

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SICILY's 3-course 'Operatic Dinner' + Wines from GS Wines

We have included in our offer, a delicious 3-course Italian dinner (see Set menu options below) where the Starter and Main dishes come with a taster Italian wine (100ml) paired with the dishes. Before dinner, at the start of the evening, we will also serve a Welcome drink consisting of an Italian sparkling wine.

With beautiful music, delicious Italian wine and food in the cosy and charming ambience of Sicily, it promises to be an enjoyable Summer's evening to delight all the senses!

MENU

Starter (+ taster glass of Wine)

[NB Menu may be subject to adjustments] [£30 per head, included in ticket price]

Calamari - deep-fried squid, seasoned with smoked paprika, salt and chilli

Arancini e panelle - mozzarella-stuffed rice balls, with saffron, chickpeas and fresh parseley puffs (v)

Caponata Siciliana - "sweet and sour" dish made with Sicilian aubergines, tomatoes, white onion, capers, celery, green olives and garnished with toasted pine nuts (v)

Mains (+ taster glass of Wine)

Penne a la Norma - Durum wheat pasta with Sicilian aubergine, datterini tomatoes, rich tomato and fresh basil sauce, topped with salted ricotta (v)

Lasagne al forno - slow-cooked free-range ox-cheek ragu, with tomato and béchamel

Pizza picante - tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, spicy spianata salami, roasted peppers and jalapeno chilies

Pizza Ortolano - tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, Sicilian aubergine, courgette, roasted peppers basil (v)

Pizza Siciliana - tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, anchovies, sliced sweet red onion and pecorino Toscano

Cotoletta di Pollo con mozzarella e pomodoro - pan-fried bread-crumbed chicken breast with melted mozzarella and tomato basil sauce, served with rocket salad

Branzino al Cartoccio - sea bass filet with fresh orange, datterini tomatoes, courgettes, capers, dry white wine and fresh herbs, oven-baked in a cartouche, served with seasonal vegetables

Special Main - £5 supplementary charge

Spaghetti Marinara - seafood pasta made using a seafood marinara mix - prawns / shrimp, calamari, fish and mussels tossed through a tasty tomato sauce.

Dessert

Tiramisu` - classic Italian dessert, homemade with espresso coffee, amaretto & sambuca.

Cheesecake homemade with fresh fruits of the forest compote.

Two scoops of Ice Cream

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Please let us know if you have any allergies, or require information on ingredients used in our dishes.

All prices are inclusive of service charge and VAT.

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SICILY Restaurant, Belgravia

Sicily is a friendly, relaxed Italian restaurant in bustling Belgravia, founded by London-born brothers Roberto and Enzo Scalzo. The restaurant aims to draw together Italian flavours, and be a home from home dining experience with great service. Sicily pride themselves on using the best quality ingredients, sourcing fruit and vegetables from Covent Garden, meat from Smithfield and fish from Billingsgate. Sicily can seat 136 people across four different dining areas.

SICILY's Instagram: @eatatsicily

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Artistes' Bios

Italian soprano Francesca Matta graduated in opera singing at the Conservatorio di Musica G.P.L. da Palestrina and continued her vocal studies with renowned international artists such as Giusy Devinu and Bernadette Manca di Nissa. Over the years she performed, both in Italy and UK, roles such as Tosca; Cio Cio San, Madama Butterfly; Gilda, Rigoletto; Mimí, La Bohème; Elisabetta, Maria Stuarda; Contessa, Le Nozze di Figaro; Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni; Fiordiligi, Così fan Tutte. Recently (in Summer 2021), Francesca made her debut as Violetta in La Traviata with Regents Opera. She has recently sung in Regents Opera's production of Carmen this Summer.

is a London born mezzo soprano with training from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the ENO OperaWorks Programme. Her operatic roles include Papagena Opera på Skäret, Idamante (cover) English Touring Opera, The King (The Queen’s Lace Handkerchief) Opera della Luna, Zulma (cover) (L’Italiana in Algeri) Garsington Opera, Hansel (Hansel und Gretel) and Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors) Opera Anywhere. Her concert credits include a Gilbert & Sullivan gala concert at the Chichester Festival entitled ‘Tarantara!’ conducted by Martin Handley; the female solo quartet for Schubert’s ‘Das Paradies und die Peri’ with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and broadcast on BBC Radio; and the mezzo-soprano solo for Stravinsky’s ‘Pulcinella’ with the London Schools Symphony Orchestra at Barbican Hall. She has performed as a soloist in concert at the Wigmore Hall and at Cadogan Hall. In Summer (2021) Emily performed the role of the Owl and covered the role of the Fox in Janacek’s ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’ for Longborough Festival Opera.

Following her Masters degree in Music (Cambridge University), accomplished concert pianist, accompanist, violinist and singer Caroline Jaya-Ratnam was appointed Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music. She has appeared on TV accompanying world renowned opera singers including tenor, Rolando Villazon, baritone Bryn Terfel and soprano Danielle de Niese. She has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in numerous Proms as part of the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Weng Soon Tee is a Malaysian-born pianist, who studied at the Guildhall School of Music under the tutelage of Carole Presland. Weng is a versatile pianist - regularly performing as a chamber musician, orchestral pianist, song accompanist as well as a solo concert pianist. His most recent engagements include performing Debussy songs in the Barbican Hall, chamber music recitals at the Torroella Fringe Festival and at the Esplanade in Singapore, attending the prestigious IMS Prussia Cove course working with Thomas Adès and Gidon Kremer, and performing as a soloist with the Southern Sinfonia under the baton of Simon Chalk. As winner of the Watford International Piano Competition and the Else Cross Contemporary Prize, Weng was praised by the judges for 'representing the music in such a sincere and understated way' and for being 'a pianist of exceptional imagination'.

Kiwi pianist, Siyu Sun, is currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Professors Ronan O'Hora and Carole Presland. Last year, Siyu was awarded a special commendation in the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition, and second prize in the Bromsgrove International Music Competition. In 2022, as a finalist in the keyboard section of the Royal Overseas League competition, she won a special Overseas Award, the Tait Memorial Prize for an Outstanding Australian/New Zealand Musician. She has performed in venues throughout New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, recently the Royal Albert Hall, St. James Church Piccadilly, Milton Court Concert Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatory Hall, Princess Alexandra Hall, Spanish Embassy, Auckland Town Hall, and Queensland Conservatorium Hall.

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HOW TO GET TO SICILY RESTAURANT

By underground or train: Victoria (Circle, District and Victoria lines). SICILY is a 5min walk from Victoria station.

By foot from Victoria Station: go along Buckingham Palace Road, which runs down the back of the station (as you look at the frontage), past Viictoria Place Shopping Centre, towards Victoria Coach Station. Just before Victoria Coach Station, turn right into Elizabeth Street. SICILY is located on Elizabth Street, opposite Victoria Coach Station.

By bus: No C1 to Elizabeth Road (and Victoria Coach Station) No C10, to Buckingham Palace RoadNos 11, 239, C1, 44 to Victoria Coach Station.

By car: parking is free after 18:00 on a Sunday.

Disabled Access: Wheelchair users welcome.

Host or Publisher GS Wines & Beacon Italy