Opera Concerto at St. Paul’s Within the Walls, Every Thursday Through December 9, 2027

Opera Concerto, the most famous opera arias is performed every Thursday at 20:30 in St. Paul's Within the Walls, Via Nazionale 16/A, Rome, with the Orchestra of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma and its singers. The next dates on the official website calendar are Thursday, October 1, 8, 15 and 22, November 5, 12, 19 and 26, December 3 and 10, 2026. The program continues in 2027 from January 14, always on Thursdays, until December 9, 2027. Doors open at 19:45 and the show lasts about an hour and a half. The church is a few minutes' walk from Piazza della Repubblica and Termini station. Tickets, in several seating categories with discounts for under 18s, students up to age 27, groups of 15 people, military personnel and Roma Pass holders, are sold on the official website of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma or through the presale network authorized by the organizers. Prices are shown when you choose the date.

It's a concert designed for travelers too: an hour and a half of Verdi, Puccini, Rossini and Mozart, in a 19th-century church with the Burne-Jones mosaics behind the musicians. It isn't a night at Teatro dell'Opera, and it doesn't pretend to be. It's a well-built anthology, to hear the arias everyone knows up close without committing a whole evening to a big theater.

Opera Concerto: what you hear at St. Paul's Within the Walls

The show offers a journey through the world of opera via the main arias, the most rousing overtures and the best-known duets. The program published by the organizers is divided into two acts. As always in these cases, the organizers warn that it may be subject to change.

The first act

It opens with the Prelude to Verdi's Traviata, played by the orchestra. Then come "Va' pensiero" from Nabucco, for soprano, tenor and baritone, "Largo al factotum della città" from Rossini's Barber of Seville, for baritone, Leoncavallo's Mattinata, for tenor, "Una voce poco fa", again from the Barber, for soprano, the duet "Là ci darem la mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni, "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca, the Barcarolle from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann for orchestra, and finally the drinking song "Libiamo", from Traviata.

The second act

The second part opens with the Entr'acte to Act 3 of Bizet's Carmen. Then "Quando me'n vo" from Puccini's Bohème, for soprano, the "Toreador" from Carmen, for baritone, "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto, for tenor, the Intermezzo from Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, for orchestra, "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca, for soprano, "Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso" from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, and the finale with "Zitti, zitti, piano, piano" from the Barber of Seville.

A safe-bet program

Reading the set list, you understand the approach: no rarities, only the titles anyone has heard at least once, in an ad, at the movies or in a film. That's its limit for the opera lover and its strength for the newcomer. If you've never heard an opera live, you come out with a map: Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Mozart, Bizet, and often the urge to see a full opera.

The performers: the ensemble of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma

On stage is the six-piece ensemble of the Orchestra of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma, with the company's singers: soprano, tenor and baritone.

Six instruments

The organizers describe the weekly ensemble at St. Paul's Within the Walls as made up of soloists on violin, cello, piano, flute, clarinet and horn. It's a chamber group: the overtures and intermezzos are reductions designed for six instruments, not for a symphony orchestra. In a church of this size, and a few meters from the audience, the choice makes sense.

The voices

The singers' names aren't listed in the published program and may change from one night to the next. The organizers present them as internationally known singers. If you want to know who is singing on a specific date, you can ask the organizers when you book.

Who I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma are

The Orchestra of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma was founded in 1998. It presents itself as the first example of a concert institution that is entirely private and supported only by non-public funds. It's a production of Musica&Musica Eventi e Spettacoli srl.

Conservatory professors

The orchestra is made up of professors from Italian conservatories, and it specializes in the operatic repertoire, with particular attention to the Italian tradition.

A season in two churches

The music season is split between two venues. At St. Paul's Within the Walls, besides Opera Concerto, the orchestra stages Verdi's La Traviata in three acts, with chorus, costumes and sets. In the basilica of San Nicola in Carcere, near the Theater of Marcellus, a string quintet with harpsichord performs Vivaldi's Four Seasons and other sacred music for strings. The New Year's Concert and The Three Tenors complete the lineup.

Who the evening is for

The audience at these concerts is largely international: the program, the English title, "the most famous lyrical arias", and the Roma Pass discounts make that clear. It isn't a flaw. Rome has always offered music to its visitors, and a well-made concert in a historic church is one of the most pleasant evenings a traveler can treat themselves to.

A curious fact about Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls, every Thursday through December 9, 2027

Look at the apse while the tenor sings. In the mosaics designed by Edward Burne-Jones, among the saints and the Christian warriors, there are real 19th-century faces: Saint Andrew has the face of Abraham Lincoln, Saint Patrick that of General Ulysses S. Grant, and Saint James that of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Saint Ambrose has the features of Junius Spencer Morgan, father of the banker John Pierpont Morgan, who contributed to building the church. Saint Basil has those of the diplomat George Perkins Marsh, in Rome between 1861 and 1881, and next to him his wife appears as Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music. Saint Barbara is Georgiana Burne-Jones, the painter's wife, and Saint Dorothy their daughter Margaret. There's a thread tying this portrait gallery to the concert: Verdi's Traviata, Rigoletto and Nabucco, which open and punctuate the program, belong to the same 19th century in which those faces lived. Hearing "Va' pensiero" under a mosaic where Garibaldi has become a warrior saint is a coincidence no director would have dared.

St. Paul's Within the Walls: the concert venue

Chiesa di San Paolo entro le Mura, in English St. Paul's Within the Walls, is an American Episcopal church, of Anglican tradition, on Via Nazionale, in the Castro Pretorio district. It was the first non-Catholic church built in Rome after the Unification of Italy.

How it came about

It was wanted by the Reverend Robert J. Nevin, who bought the land and obtained the necessary permits from the Italian government. Until then the American Episcopal community met at the American Legation to the papal court. The project went to the English architect George Edmund Street, and construction lasted from 1873 to 1880.

The architecture

The style combines Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival, with a Byzantine Revival apse. Outside, red bricks from the Siena area alternate with bands of travertine. On the facade there's a rose window with the symbols of the Evangelists. The bell tower holds a set of 23 bells cast in 1876. Street also designed Rome's other Anglican church, All Saints, for British worshippers.

The interior and the mosaics

The interior has a nave and two aisles, with stained glass windows telling the life of Saint Paul. In the apse vault, designed by Burne-Jones, Christ enthroned in the Heavenly Jerusalem is flanked by five archangels: Uriel with the sun, Michael in armor, Gabriel with the lily, Chemuel with the cup, Zophiel with the moon. During the concert that gold serves as a stage backdrop.

The organ

The church has a 1962 Mascioni organ, opus 833, with 41 stops on three manuals and pedal. It replaced an 1878 instrument by the American firm Hilborne L. Roosevelt, moved to the church of Gesù Bambino in Sacco Pastore.

Something nobody tells you about Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls, every Thursday through December 9, 2027

The first thing nobody tells you is that the seat matters more than the price. The organizers sell different categories: VIP with skip-the-line entry in rows I to IV, category A from row V to XII, category B from row XIV on, with full and reduced price for the two main categories. In a long church with a nave and aisles, with a chamber ensemble and voices not amplified as in a theater, sitting up front or at the back really changes the experience. If your budget allows, choose category A or higher. The second thing is about discounts. They apply to under 18s, students up to age 27, groups of at least 15 people, military personnel and Roma Pass holders, but proof of eligibility must be shown at the entrance: bring your student card or your Roma Pass with you, don't leave it at the hotel. Third thing, the calendar. The concerts are on Thursdays, but not every Thursday: in 2026, for example, there's no concert on October 29, and after December 10 the program resumes on January 14, 2027. Check the date on the official website before planning your evening.

Opera Concerto dates and times

The show starts at 20:30. You can enter the church from 19:45, and it lasts about an hour and a half: you're out around 22:00.

The 2026 dates

Thursday, October 1, 8, 15 and 22. Thursday, November 5, 12, 19 and 26. Thursday, December 3 and 10, 2026.

The 2027 dates

The official website calendar resumes on Thursday, January 14, 2027 and continues weekly, always on Thursdays, until Thursday, December 9, 2027, with a few weeks off. For dates far ahead, it's worth checking the calendar again close to your departure.

Tickets for Opera Concerto

Tickets are sold on the official website of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma, where you choose date, category and quantity, or through the presale network authorized by the organizers. Prices are shown at the time of purchase.

Seating categories

VIP with skip-the-line entry, rows I to IV. Category A full and reduced price, rows V to XII. Category B full and reduced price, from row XIV.

Discounts

Under 18s, students up to age 27, groups of at least 15 people, military personnel and Roma Pass holders. Proof of eligibility for the discount must be shown at the entrance.

My tip for Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls, every Thursday through December 9, 2027

Arrive at 19:45, when the doors open, and use the quarter hour before the start to look at the church. With the evening lights the apse mosaics glow, and spotting Lincoln, Garibaldi and Grant among the saints is a game that puts you in a good mood. Choose a central seat not too far back: with six instruments and three voices, being close is everything. During the concert, keep your phone in your pocket at least for "Va' pensiero" and "E lucevan le stelle": they're the two moments when the church holds its breath. The most practical tip, though, is about dinner. Don't do what many visitors do, arriving in a rush, hungry, after a day of museums: book a light dinner around 18:30 in the streets of Monti, or move dinner to afterward, around 22:00, when the district is still lively. If you have more evenings in Rome, you can pair this concert with the Four Seasons one at San Nicola in Carcere, same orchestra, another church, another repertoire: on Fridays and Saturdays in October.

A concert in a church: a few common-sense rules

St. Paul's Within the Walls is a living church, with a community that uses it for worship. In the evening it becomes a concert hall, but it remains a sacred place, and the international audience doesn't always keep that in mind.

Silence and phones

Phone off or on silent, no talking during the pieces, no flash. They seem obvious, but in a nave the acoustics amplify every rustle, and one ringtone is enough to ruin "Vissi d'arte" for 200 people.

Arriving on time

Anyone who comes in after the concert has started is a disturbance: in a nave you hear every step and every door. The doors open at 19:45: use them.

How to get to St. Paul's Within the Walls

The concert entrance is at Via Nazionale 16/A. The church is at the end of Via Nazionale, toward Piazza della Repubblica, a few minutes' walk from Termini station.

On foot

You can spot the church from a distance by its red bricks alternating with travertine and by its bell tower. From Piazza della Repubblica it's just a few steps. From Termini, a short walk.

By public transportation

For the best connection from your hotel, use the ATAC journey planner. The concert ends around 22:00: check your return route too.

By car

The organizers don't list dedicated parking. In a central area like Via Nazionale, in the evening, a car is more of a problem than a solution.

Another well-known fact, yet one that's rarely mentioned

It's known that St. Paul's Within the Walls is an American church. What's rarely mentioned is why it was built right here and right then. Before 1870 the American Episcopal community in Rome had no church: it met in the rooms of the American Legation to the papal court. After Unification, St. Paul's Within the Walls became the first non-Catholic church built in the city, and it stands on Via Nazionale. The Reverend Robert J. Nevin bought the land, obtained the permits from the Italian government and gave the project to George Edmund Street, an English architect. Construction began in 1873. The Burne-Jones mosaics, with Lincoln, Grant and Garibaldi turned into warrior saints, complete the message: an Anglo-American world that looked at united Italy with sympathy. When you hear Verdi and the Nabucco chorus here in the evening, the music and the building tell the same chapter of Italian history.

How to plan the evening

When to arrive

The doors open at 19:45, the concert starts at 20:30. Arriving early means choosing better within your category and having time for the mosaics.

What to wear

There's no published dress code. You're in a church and at a concert: neat clothing that respects the place is enough. In fall and winter bring an extra layer, because big churches can be chilly.

With children

There's a discount for under 18s. An hour and a half split into two acts is a reasonable length for curious kids, and the program, made of famous, short arias, helps keep their attention.

Accessibility

The organizers don't publish detailed accessibility information. If you use a wheelchair or have special needs, it's a good idea to contact the organizers before buying, at the phone number and address listed on the official website.

The right photo to take at Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls, every Thursday through December 9, 2027

The right photo is taken before the concert, not during it. During the performance your phone stays in your pocket: it's respect for the musicians and for the people sitting next to you. Before, though, at 19:45, with the church filling up, stand at the back of the central nave and frame the apse: the music stands and the piano below, the gold of the Burne-Jones mosaics above, with Christ enthroned and the five archangels. It's an image no theater can give you. The second photo is outside: the striped facade of red brick and travertine on Via Nazionale, with the rose window of the Evangelists, shot in the evening under the street lights. If you want a detail to tell your friends about, get closer to the figures of the warriors on horseback and look for Garibaldi's face as Saint James. Nobody will believe you until they see the photo.

Around St. Paul's Within the Walls: what to see

The church is in an area full of monuments, ideal for filling the afternoon before the concert.

Piazza della Repubblica and the Baths

A few steps away is Piazza della Repubblica with the Baths of Diocletian. The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme museum is a great afternoon stop.

Palazzo delle Esposizioni and Teatro dell'Opera

Walking down Via Nazionale you reach Palazzo delle Esposizioni. A short distance away is the Rome Opera House: if you want to compare two ways of doing opera in the same city, you can do it in the same week.

Santa Maria Maggiore and the Quirinale

Within walking distance are Santa Maria Maggiore and, going up toward the hill, Quirinal Palace.

Where to eat near St. Paul's Within the Walls

The area between Via Nazionale, Termini and the Monti district offers restaurants of every kind. The streets right around the station are geared to passing tourists. Monti, a few minutes' walk away, has more interesting trattorias and osterias.

Before the concert

Dinner at 18:30 works with the doors opening at 19:45. Choose a place nearby: rushing to a concert takes away half the pleasure.

After the concert

Around 22:00 many restaurants in the center are still serving. The inner streets of Monti are the closest and most pleasant choice.

Some important events that happened here in history

The history of St. Paul's Within the Walls is short compared with that of Rome's medieval churches, but it's dense. The first event is its founding itself, after the Unification of Italy: the Reverend Robert J. Nevin obtained permits from the government to build a church for the American Episcopal community, which until then met at the American Legation to the papal court. The second is the construction, from 1873 to 1880, led by George Edmund Street. In 1876 the 23 bells of the bell tower were cast. In 1878 the organ by the American firm Hilborne L. Roosevelt arrived. Then came the decoration of the apse to designs by Edward Burne-Jones, with his assistant Thomas Matthews Rooke portrayed as Saint Longinus, and with the hidden portraits of Morgan, Tait, Marsh, Lincoln, Garibaldi and Grant. In 1962 the original organ was replaced by the Mascioni opus 833 and moved to Sacco Pastore. Since 1998, the year I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma was founded, the church has also been a concert hall for the city's international audience: a use the Reverend Nevin couldn't have imagined, but one that fits well with a building created to welcome people from far away.

Who has passed through Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls, every Thursday through December 9, 2027

First of all, the people who made the church: the Reverend Robert J. Nevin, who wanted it, and the architect George Edmund Street, who designed it. Then Edward Burne-Jones, who designed the mosaics, and his assistant Thomas Matthews Rooke. Then, in mosaic form, the faces the apse preserves: Junius Spencer Morgan, who contributed to the construction, the Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait as Saint Gregory the Great, the diplomat George Perkins Marsh and his wife Mary Dahlgren Astor, Georgiana Burne-Jones and her daughter Margaret, Abraham Lincoln, Giuseppe Garibaldi and Ulysses S. Grant as warrior saints. Every Thursday evening, for years, Violetta and Alfredo, Figaro and Don Giovanni, Tosca, the Duke of Mantua, Carmen and her toreador have also passed through here: the characters that the voices of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma bring before that apse. And thousands of travelers from all over the world pass through, who may not know they're sitting under Lincoln's face while they listen to "La donna è mobile". Now you know.

How to listen to Opera Concerto: a short guide

A program made of famous pieces risks slipping by like a playlist. A few tricks help you enjoy it more, even without knowing the operas the pieces come from.

Follow the voices

The program carefully alternates soprano, tenor and baritone, alone and together. Try listening to each singer as a different character in each piece: the baritone who in the first act is Figaro, the barber factotum, in the second becomes Carmen's bullfighter and then a Mozart character again. It's a small exercise in theater, and it makes the evening much more alive.

Listen to the instruments in the orchestral pieces

The Prelude to Traviata, the Barcarolle, the Entr'acte from Carmen and the Intermezzo from Cavalleria are the moments when the voices fall silent and the six instruments remain. They're pages written for a full orchestra and reduced here for a chamber group: notice how the flute, the clarinet and the horn share parts that in a theater would belong to entire sections of the orchestra.

Don't clap too soon

At a concert of arias the applause comes after each piece, and that's normal. But wait until the last note has really faded: in a church the sound lingers in the air for a few moments, and that half second of silence is part of the music.

Opera Concerto: who it's for

For those who have never heard an opera

This is the ideal audience. An hour and a half, short and famous pieces, no plot to follow. You come out able to tell Verdi from Puccini, with a few arias in your head for the rest of the trip.

For opera lovers

If you go to opera houses, you know what to expect: an anthology, with a reduced ensemble. If your expectations are right, the evening is enjoyable, especially for being so close to the voices, which you never get in a big theater. If you're looking for a full production, check Teatro dell'Opera program or the staged Traviata that the same orchestra presents in the same church.

For couples and families

The concert works well as a special evening on a trip: start at 20:30, end around 22:00, dinner before or after in Monti. With curious kids and the under 18 discount, it's also a good way to introduce them to music without boring them.

Rome in fall and winter, in the evening

The Opera Concerto calendar runs through every season. In fall and winter the evening has a special appeal: it gets dark early outside, Via Nazionale lights up, and inside the church the gold of the mosaics stands out even more.

October and November

These are the most pleasant months: mild temperatures, a city less crowded than in summer, and the first rains that make an evening indoors even more appealing.

December

The last two dates of 2026, December 3 and 10, fall in the run-up to Christmas. A walk after the concert toward Piazza della Repubblica and Via Nazionale rounds off the evening nicely.

Opera Concerto or the Four Seasons: which evening to choose

Opera Concerto

Thursdays at St. Paul's Within the Walls: voices and instruments, the most famous arias by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Mozart and Bizet. It's the choice for those who love singing and want a taste of opera.

The Four Seasons

Fridays and Saturdays in October at San Nicola in Carcere: string quintet and harpsichord, Vivaldi and sacred music for strings, in a basilica built on the temples of the Forum Holitorium. It's the choice for those who prefer instrumental music and the appeal of medieval churches.

Both

If you're in Rome for a long weekend in October, you can do both: Thursday at St. Paul's, Friday or Saturday at San Nicola. Two churches, two centuries, the same orchestra.

Frequently asked questions about Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls

When is Opera Concerto at St. Paul's Within the Walls?

Opera Concerto is performed at St. Paul's Within the Walls on Thursdays at 20:30. In 2026 the dates are October 1, 8, 15 and 22, November 5, 12, 19 and 26, December 3 and 10. In 2027 the official calendar resumes on January 14 and runs until December 9.

What time does Opera Concerto start and how long does it last?

Opera Concerto starts at 20:30, and you can enter the church from 19:45. It lasts about an hour and a half, divided into two acts: you're out around 22:00.

Where is St. Paul's Within the Walls?

St. Paul's Within the Walls is on Via Nazionale, with the concert entrance at number 16/A, a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica and a few minutes' walk from Termini station.

Which arias do you hear at Opera Concerto?

The Opera Concerto program includes, among others, "Va' pensiero", "Largo al factotum", "E lucevan le stelle", the "Libiamo" drinking song from Traviata, the Toreador from Carmen, "La donna è mobile" and "Vissi d'arte", with music by Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Mozart, Bizet, Leoncavallo, Offenbach and Mascagni.

Who plays and who sings?

Opera Concerto is performed by the six-piece ensemble of I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma, with violin, cello, piano, flute, clarinet and horn, and with soprano, tenor and baritone. The singers' names aren't listed in the published program.

Are there ticket discounts?

Opera Concerto offers discounts for under 18s, students up to age 27, groups of at least 15 people, military personnel and Roma Pass holders. The document that entitles you to the discount must be shown at the entrance.

What's the best seat?

At St. Paul's Within the Walls the front rows are the most sought after: the VIP category takes rows I to IV, category A rows V to XII, category B from row XIV on. With a chamber ensemble, the closer you are, the better you hear.

My final tip: take Opera Concerto for what it is, an anthology of famous arias performed with care in a church that alone is worth the trip to Via Nazionale. Sit up front, look at the apse, and let "Va' pensiero" do the rest. And if it makes you want a full opera, it will have done its job.

Article written by the editorial team of Tour Leader Pro, contact them for Private/Corporate/V.I.P. Tours and Experiences.

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