Verdi's Requiem presented by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra tickets

Sinister silence.

We wait.

Then, with all the fire and brimstone he could muster, Verdi unleashed hell.

A monumental chorus and orchestra, four vocalists and orchestral writing that merges the drama of Italian opera with the spirituality of a Roman Catholic mass, Verdi's Requiem could be the biggest sound you’ll hear all year.

Verdi’s Requiem initially began as an idea to compose a mass in honour of fellow composer Gioachino Rossini. He eventually abandoned the project, only to revisit the idea when author Alessandro Manzoni died five years later. Though he was an atheist, Verdi had great respect for sacred music and its place in the distinctly Italian sentiment.

What he went on to create is an immersive journey through prayers for eternal rest, a thunderous Judgement Day, a perspective of angels and saints, and finally the soprano soloist - here the famed Australian soprano Samanatha Clarke - pleads for deliverance. It covers the full emotional spectrum, on the largest musical scale.

Conductor Umberto Clerici joins the MSO, to follow up on his 5-star, sold-out performances of the Requiem in Brisbane in 2025. Having grown up in Italy, steeped in the traditions of opera, Umberto explicitly understands Verdi’s Requiem. He describes it as a “transformative experience”.

Come and be transformed.