New York, USA, 2023-Aug-23 — /Travel PR News/ — The private island paradise that is Pangkor Laut Resort soars to new operatic heights on the wings of world-famous artistes in October this year. Starting October 20-22, 2023 and for one special weekend every year thereafter, Opera in Paradise will welcome renowned musicians who have lit up concert halls and become household names the world over for an unforgettable symphony set within this private island getaway.
For this year’s inaugural Opera in Paradise weekend, guests at the resort will discover the sensational talents of its three headline acts; Andrea Griminelli, Belle Voci and Michael Austin. These three acts will be performing on a most unusual stage; in a forever paradise espousing Pangkor Laut Resort’s unique ethos of ‘one island, one resort’; where treasured moments are formed amid an idyllic setting of sun, sea, sand and two-million-year-old virgin rainforests.
The curated lineup of talents to kick off Opera in Paradise 2023 harks back to a semi private performance by the larger-than-life tenor Luciano Pavarotti. In 1994, the maestro had performed to a glittering gallery of distinguished guests on the grounds of Pangkor Laut Resort to commemorate the resort’s second phase of development. During his visit, Pavarotti was so captivated and moved by the location that he exclaimed: “This place is enchanting, it is paradise here. This morning when I woke up, I went out (and) I was really moved, almost crying to see how beautiful things has (been) done by God. Because this is really paradise.” Pavarotti would go on to dedicate the song ‘O Paradiso’ during his recital as his description of Pangkor Laut Resort.
Till the present day, the resort continues to commemorate the great tenor by naming its grandest suite with the best views in his honour. Three decades later, the acts chosen to kick off 2023’s Opera in Paradise weekend offer a fitting tribute to the moment which crystallised Pangkor Laut Resort’s legend and myth. They are:
- Andrea Griminelli is an Italian flautist whose successful career has spanned over 34 years. His sensitive interpretations and astonishing technique have earned him accolades and awards from all over the world, including a Grammy, the Prix de Paris and an Italian Knighthood. Griminelli also worked with Pavarotti himself, and at the tender age of 25, was invited by the tenor to perform at his concert in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Griminelli will also serve as the Musical Director of this event which pays tribute to Pavarotti’s historic performance on the island.
- Belle Voci, Italian for ‘beautiful voices’ is a double act comprising Emily Burnett and Sophie Rowland who met at the age of 22. Having accidentally applied for The Voice UK, Belle Voci progressed all the way to the live final in 2018, performing to over five million viewers on primetime television, singing My Heart Will Go On with their idol and coach, Jennifer Hudson. The absolute highlight of their careers to date was singing the National Anthem at the FA Cup Final in 2019 and supporting tenor extraordinaire, Alfie Boe OBE who even invited them on stage to duet with him at his Scarborough show and again in London. Emily and Sophie’s mission is to spread opera and classical music far and wide and bring it audiences anew.
- Michael Austin is an American performer, who received his Master of Music from New York’s Juilliard School of Music. As a theatre performer, he achieved history becoming the only African-American Othello of this time and, the first non-Chinese performer to sing a leading role in a Chinese opera (Mulan Palms).
This breathtaking concert will be followed by sunset cocktails and a captivating dinner experience where guests will dine with views of the beautiful emerald waters and lush mountainscape. Guests visiting Pangkor Laut Resort will experience the same paradise that Pavarotti encountered some three decades ago, with relaxation to be found under swaying palm trees, unwinding at the renowned Spa Village and soaking up the sun at Emerald Bay beach.
To further encourage guests to contribute to the creation of paradise for others, a charity drive will run concurrently with the Opera in Paradise weekend. The funds raised will be directed towards Hospis Malaysia, a charitable organization with a vision to make palliative care universally accessible. This is achieved through the provision of evidence-based palliative care to patients and families at no charge, coupled with the training of others to extend this essential service to those who would otherwise be unreachable.
About Pangkor Laut Resort: Pangkor Laut Resort is set along the Straits of Malacca, three miles off the west coast of Malaysia, surrounded by the emerald sea. Here, guests discover a piece of paradise two million years in the making. Of the island’s 300 acres, only a fraction has been developed to house this peaceful luxury resort and its Estates. This private island resort was declared a paradise by the late Pavarotti and voted ‘Number One in the World’ by Condé Nast Traveller U.K. in its sixth annual Readers’ Travel Awards Top 100 list in 2003. Here, wooden buildings blend seamlessly into the forest, walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up to allow trees to continue on their journey to the sky. Nature is respected here, almost revered and it rewards visitors in ways that simply need to be experienced. pangkorlautresort.com
About YTL Hotels: YTL Hotels owns and manages a prestigious collection of award-winning resorts, hotels, boutique experiences and Spa Villages with a hospitality footprint across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, France, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, including Pangkor Laut Resort, voted the world’s best resort in 2003 by Condé Nast Traveller UK. The Gainsborough Bath Spa, a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s collection of legendary hotels, was named in the 2017 Condé Nast Traveller Awards World’s Top 100 and listed amongst the Best Hotels in the UK as well as the Top Destination Spa Resorts in the World in the 2022 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards.
The portfolio, which embraces the brand promise of Treasured Places, Treasured Moments, also encompasses the ownership management of Marriott International properties in Australia and Kuala Lumpur as well as properties under the brand’s distinctive Autograph Collection banner. Properties under the Marriott International partnership include The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui as well as Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, named in TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2021 list and also the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Japan, complementing YTL Hotels’ master plan for Niseko Village.
With each new experience that it presents, the company strives to embrace and highlight the natural essence of culture, character and tradition of its surroundings. YTL Hotels is the hospitality arm of YTL Corporation Berhad. Visit ytlhotels.com for more information and follow us on our social media platforms for #YTLTravels.