Rolex and the Opera

Rolex named its first arts testimonee, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, in the 1970s and has since been inextricably tied to the world of opera. The list of testimonees has grown to include such greats as Plácido Domingo, Cecilia Bartoli and Jonas Kaufmann since then and the watchmaker has also become the official timepiece of many of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. 

Plácido Domingo in Simon Boccanegra, at The Royal Opera House in 2010 (photo: Rolex/Catherine Ashmore)

Teatro alla Scala has been one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world for over 200 years, setting the stage for memorable performances from some of the most gifted operatic talents of all time. It has hosted the premier of many famous operas in its lifetime, including Verdi's Otella and Falsta, Bellini's Norma and Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Plácido Domingo gave a memorable Otello performance there and Cecilia Bartoli has also graced the stage of La Scala.

Rolex is also official timepiece of the Royal Opera House in London. The photo above shows Domingo in Simon Boccanegra at the Royal Opera in 2010. Rolex is also the official timepiece for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and the Ópera National de Paris. The watchmaker is Exclusive Partner of the New Year's and Summer Night Concerts at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The New Year's Eve concert celebration is shown in the beautiful photo below.

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, New Year's Concert (photo: Alamy images)

Other notable arts testimonees include tenor Juan Diego Flóres, bass-baritone Bryn Terfel and Rolando Villazón. Rolex is also Main Sponsor of the Salzburg Festival, featuring 180 classical and contemporary performances that include opera and drama. The festival is known for introducing new works onto the international music scene. I have embedded the trailer for the 2016 festival, which is currently under way. For more information on Rolex and its ties to the arts, visit the arts and culture section of rolex.com.

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