Opera star Anita Rachvelishvili in Bilbao recital for live audience

Mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili will be on stage in the north of Spain on Saturday to join pianist Vincenzo Scalera in a recital hosted by the Bilbao Association of Friends of the Opera.

The association, also known as ABAO Bilbao Opera, will welcome the artists to the event seen as part of its ABAO on Stage cycle of bills, with the performance to come at the city's Euskalduna Bilbao venue.

[Rachvelishvili brings] exuberant and timbred voice and her magnetic stage presence with an extraordinary repertoire. Maestro Vincenzo Scalera will accompany her on the piano" - ABAO Bilbao Opera

In a two-part evening Rachvelishvili - praised by organisers as "the most sought-after mezzo-soprano on the current operatic scene" - and Scalera will welcome audiences for their renditions of works by a handful of composers.

In the first segment, three works by Tchaikovsky will be performed alongside as many pieces by Rachmaninoff and de Falla, while the second part of the bill will see those in the hall hear Verdi, Massenet, Saint-Saëns and Tosti.

Tickets for the recital have been on sale since February 18, with the association also recording Rachvelishvili for a brief teaser video ahead of the show.