Gaetano Donizetti’s bel canto opera Maria Stuarda is based on Friedrich Schiller’s tragedy Maria Stuart. Maria, Queen of Scotland, has been imprisoned for 18 years by Elisabetta, Queen of England. Roberto, the Earl of Leicester, loves Maria and lobbies for her release, unaware that he has incited Elisabetta’s jealousy, as she also harbours feelings for him. Revenge, intrigue, betrayal and a fight for decency and dignity all conspire to entangle the two rivals in a bitter power struggle, which culminates in Maria’s execution. With their singing, acting and music-making, the young participants of the opera camp will experiment with the themes, characters, scenes and highly emotional music of Donizetti’s opera, developing their own perspective on the work.