Verdi's Nabucco Opera to Be Staged at the Foot of the Historic Masada’Ä® Fortress

25th Anniversary of Israeli Opera Celebrates with Conductor Daniel’Ä® Oren and Opera Legend Jessye Norman to Perform at One-of-a-kind Venue

Portland, OR ’Äì September 29, 2009 ’Äì A 5,500-seat amphitheatre will be’Ä® constructed at the base of the towering plateau fortress of Masada in the’Ä®Dead Sea region of Israel for use for one weekend only - June 3 - 5, 2010. ’Ä®Ya'lla Tours USA is the only tour company in the United States to be actively’Ä® promoting the tickets to the concerts and that has access to area ’Ä®accommodations. To round out this chance of a lifetime, Ya'lla has created 7-’Ä®day and 13-day Musical Israel travel programs that each include a Jessye’Ä® Norman concert at the Masada venue on June 4 and the Nabucco opera on ’Ä®June 5. Other key highlights of the event include:’Ä®+ A private recital by pianist Issak Tavior at his secluded mountaintop home’Ä®+ A concert by "Musicians of Tomorrow," a youth group of economically’Ä® disadvantaged Israeli students that participate in a free music education’Ä® program’Ä®+ Other cultural events include participating in a Bedouin village feast, wine’Ä®tasting at a boutique winery and private guided tours.

Accommodations in the Dead Sea region, which are rather limited, are already’Ä® set aside for the Ya'lla group. The 13-day program travels June 28-July 10 ’Ä®with 10 days of touring and the 7-day program travels June 30-July 7 with 5’Ä® days of touring. Tour prices range from $5,695 to $8,285. Both tours are’Ä®available in two price categories: the Gold Category includes 5-star’Ä® accommodations and Level 1 seating at the Masada performance, Bronze’Ä®category include 3-star accommodations and Level 2 seating at the Masada’Ä®performance. The initial, non-refundable, deposit of $1,000 is due ’Ä®immediately and final payment is due December 31, 2009. Ya'lla Tour ’Ä®packages are available through your local travel agent.

Nabucco is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi that follows the plight of’Ä® the Jews as they are assaulted and subsequently exiled from their homeland’Ä® by the Babylonian King Nabucco. Its first performance took place on March 9,’Ä®1842 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The Jessye Norman concert will’Ä®include opera arias, lieder, folk songs and spirituals; with performances by the ’Ä®Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion conducted by Rachel Worby. Ms.’Ä®Norman has performed with many philharmonic orchestras including those in’Ä®Los Angeles, New York, London and Vienna.