On April 18, at the MVM Dome arena in Budapest, opera and rock, romance and folk, violin, piano, cello, and guitar came together on one stage – voices, instruments, genres, and generations intertwined in one delicate musical symphony.

The main stars of the evening were legends from different artistic worlds, united by one shared passion for music – Placido Domingo and Dimash Qudaibergen. World-renowned cellist Hauser, who was unable to appear on stage due to health reasons, remained in the heart of every spectator. He shared newly recorded video performances and addressed fans online.

Legendary Spanish opera singer and conductor Placido Domingo performed works beloved by many admirers of the arts.

The maestro presented the profound monologue from Umberto Giordano’s opera Andrea Chénier, the famous aria Nemico della patria (“Enemy of the Fatherland”). Spanish zarzuela enchanted the audience with the arias Quiero desterrar de tu pecho el temor (“I Want to Banish Fear from Your Heart”) and No Puede Ser (“It Cannot Be”).

The famous Spanish copla song La morena de mi copla (“The Dark-Haired Girl of My Song”), along with songs from celebrated Broadway musicals Some Enchanted Evening and On the Street Where You Live, performed by Placido Domingo, immersed the audience in a romantic mood and anticipation of blossoming spring.

Kazakh singer, composer, and producer Dimash Qudaibergen selected works of different styles for his solo performances. Accompanied by a European orchestra, he performed in Kazakh the lyrical composition Mahabbat Ber Magan (“Give Me Love, Fate”), his own song about true feeling Umytylmas Kun (“Unforgettable Day”), and in complete contrast, with explosive energy scattering like a thousand sparks, Durdaraz, a Kazakh folk favorite written by 19th-century author Eshniyaz Sal.

National collaborations continued during Dimash’s performance of composer Igor Krutoy’s Stranger, when the orchestra conductor of the Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra, Péter Pejtsik, took up the ancient Kazakh instrument kobyz. The maestro also performed a cello solo during Dimash’s rendition of the timeless classic The Show Must Go On.

The two main heroes of the evening, Dimash and Maestro Domingo – presented a joint gift to the audience: O Sole Mio (“My Sun”). The world-famous song, written in 1898, is considered a pinnacle of Neapolitan music. In this radiant duet, both artists shone brightly and inspired one another with their mastery.

World-famous cellist Hauser shared video recordings of recently performed works. From the giant screens, the cello in his hands immersed the audience in stories told through iconic films such as Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean, while Astor Piazzolla’s new tango composition Libertango briefly transported listeners into a passionate and romantic world.

The concert also featured both rising talents and internationally known musicians. Placido Domingo Jr., singer, composer, and producer, presented the audience with a medley of classic Spanish-language songs titled Latin Medley and, together with his father, performed the famous ballad Adoro (“I Adore”) – a classic of Latin American music.

Opera singer, Ukrainian-American soprano Elena Dudochkina carried the audience away to a fairy-tale land with her tender vocal performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Together with Maestro Placido Domingo, she performed the duet Lippen Schweigen (“Lips Are Silent”) – the famous waltz duet of Hanna and Danilo from Franz Lehár’s beloved operetta The Merry Widow.

Today, on the Budapest stage, the living voice of the cello was heard through Hungarian musician Bence Bankovi, a graduate of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music who gained wide recognition through the Virtuosos project. He performed two stylistically different yet equally powerful and expressive works: Game of Thrones and Nadir’s Aria.

Another young musician performing on stage today was Hungarian pianist Soma Balázs-Piri, winner of the 2018 Virtuosos competition. The cultural heritage of Russian ballet, a classic of world art, radiated through the arena in waves as Soma played Swan Lake.

His virtuoso piano performance also accompanied Dimash Qudaibergen in SOS d’un terrien en détresse (“SOS of a Desperate Earthling”). In the duet Autumn Strong (“Sad Autumn”), the vocal and instrumental parts merged into one, carrying thoughts far away – toward lost happiness.

In that composition, electric guitar joined the voice and piano – young Kazakh multi-instrumentalist Mansur Qudaibergen performed instrumental parts there and in many other pieces throughout the concert on a variety of instruments.

The climax of the unique concert became the duet of Dimash Qudaibergen and Ukrainian opera singer Viktoriya Buleyeva. The artists delivered a benchmark performance of the most famous number from the musical The Phantom of the Opera.

Besame Mucho (“Kiss Me Much”), a global symbol of the unifying power of music, was presented in the concert finale by a quartet of Placido Domingo, Dimash Qudaibergen, Elena Dudochkina, and Placido Domingo Jr. This timeless classic gifted the thousands of fans gathered in Budapest a feeling of complete unity in every note and every smile of the artists.

But… the time to say goodbye still came. And once again, beneath the dome of the arena, The Show Must Go On resounded – as confirmation of music’s eternity and a promise of a new meeting.