“Women for Peace” is a unique concept-concert that unites voices from around the world to promote reconciliation, hope, and solidarity and peace. The initiative blends opera and storytelling to highlight women as agents of peace. It uses music as a universal language capable of bridging cultures, inspiring reflection, and sending a clear message: peace is not a luxury, it is a human necessity.
By Linda Bordoni
Rome’s Palazzo Farnese opens its doors on Monday evening to host Women for Peace, a special concept-concert produced by the non-profit organisation Opera for Peace. Far more than a traditional concert, the event is designed as an immersive experience: a blend of music, storytelling, and stage design that highlights the voices of women with a message of resilience, reconciliation, and hope.
Vatican Radio joined a rehearsal in the run-up to the event and was treated to a sneak preview featuring singers Serena Malfi, Pumeza Matshikiza and Forooz Razavi, coached and accompanied on piano by Kamal Khan, the co-founder and Musical Director of the organisation, and Michel El Ghoul, Art & Production Design Director.
“This is not only a concert,” says Julia Lagahuzère, general director and co-founder of Opera for Peace. “This is a moment for us to honour women all around the world who have done such incredible actions for the next generation. To be able to pass forward this kind of message in such an important venue is really a very special moment.”
A “concept concert” for peace
South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza explains that Women for Peace is not a standard recital: “Usually in concerts you come in and you sing,” she explains. “But this one has a script that’s tailored particularly for this performance. We are talking about women of peace — such a poignant issue at this terrible time in the world.”
For Matshikiza, opera has always been a space where cultural diversity thrives.
“I remember once I was doing Aida in Germany, and we had 34 different nationalities. Opera has been able to always bridge these ethnic differences. And now, when the world is in such a precarious and sensitive time, it’s time to call for peace,” she says.
It emerges that her contribution to the evening is deeply personal: “Amongst the three of us, we celebrate women from our origins and what they stood for. From my side I am representing Miriam Makeba, a South African activist and singer. We need more people who advocate for peace, who stand up when it’s not fashionable to do so.”
Pumeza Matshikiza accompanied by Kamal Khan during a rehearsal
Becoming an artist with a message
For Iranian soprano Forooz Razavi, being part of Opera for Peace has transformed not only her career but her identity.
“Being part of Opera for Peace was an epiphany,” she recalls. “Perhaps before, I was a singer, but then I became an artist with a message. For me, it has been a huge change in life — I have met my musical family, my mentors, my voice teachers. And I try to give a message of peace, a message of hope, which I think is very necessary, especially in today’s world.”
Working with colleagues from different nations has been one of the most enriching aspects of her journey. “By now, with singing, I have travelled to more than 43 countries. It has opened my eyes and taught me so much about different cultures. So many singers from different parts of the world have come together thanks to ‘Opera for Peace’. And it makes you realise that as a world, we are actually one, not as distanced from each other as the media wants us to believe. That’s beautiful.”
Her message to women in Iran is filled with resilience: “There is hope. We have survived through so much, and somehow we have always gone through it. Iranian women are the strongest women I have ever known. That day will come when their strength, their sacrifice, everything they have been fighting for will finally be given back to them, and their desires will come true.”
Forooz Razavi and Serena Malfi during a rehearsal
Art as a universal language
For Matshikiza too, art is an essential bridge: “Art, music, opera — they are a universal language,” she affirms. “We become musical brothers and sisters, and we learn about each other’s cultures. I’ve travelled to so many countries to sing, places I would never have gone otherwise. Music has given me so much — a window on the world.”
She insists that the core message of the evening must be heard clearly: “We can all find our humanity to demolish the walls of division. Not to think: I am left, I am right, I am this or that. But first: you are a human being. We can create a better world with more diplomacy instead of weapons.”
A platform for cultural diversity
The staging and artistic design are entrusted to Michel El Ghoul, who brings his Lebanese heritage to the project.
“I compare it to the Lebanese mezze,” he smiles. “Different cultures bringing together their messages of hope and peace through music and opera. Everybody thinks opera is an Italian genre, but no, it resonates with every artist around the world. This project gives these cultures a platform to say: we are here, present with our differences and struggles, providing a message of hope.”
El Ghoul carries with him both pride in his homeland and the pain of its conflicts: “As Lebanese, we pass through a lot. I am an immigrant who came to Paris and started a new life, but I always carry my country in my heart. I’m so happy I can represent it with the work I’m doing. We all deserve to live in peace. To laugh, to enjoy our lives, to listen to music. Sadly, this is not the case everywhere — some live with this luxury, others don’t. But I hope to play my part in making it a reality, because peace is not a luxury, it’s a necessity, a right.”
Michel El Ghoul works with the group
A community of ambassadors
“Opera for Peace” is built on this belief in the power of art to change lives and inspire society. Lagahuzère explains: “We invest in talents and help them develop their careers, but we also ask them to give back, to become international ambassadors not only for their countries but for the world. They also become role models for the next generation, which is so important.”
She adds that Rome is a fitting home for this message: “We are a Rome-based organisation, and we have a special energy in this city. It makes us very happy to come back.”
Serena Malfi during the rehearsal in Rome
A shared call
“Peace is possible,” Matshikiza insists. “We are so interconnected. If something happens in one part of the world, it affects all of us. Instead of spending trillions on weapons, we can invest in education, hospitals, reducing poverty. That would be a better fight — not for domination, but for humanity.”
And Razavi concludes with hope: “As artists, we have the capability to bring people together, to make them think more, and to believe in peace. It is essential, it is necessary, and it is possible.”