---

Uncover the life of the mystical queen of Egypt-Cleopatra the VII and see her through the eyes of the famous baroque composer George Frideric Handel and his librettist Nicola Francesco Haym. The woman who is most known as the last queen of Egypt and as a symbol of beauty, is a descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty and late successor of a part of the Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great. She has fueled the fantasy of many writers, film makers, painters and composers from Plutarch to Shakespeare, as well as G.F. Handel who has implemented a very exciting part of her life story in one of his most successful operas - "Giulio Cesare in Egitto". The exceptionally wonderful music of George Frideric Handel corroborated with Nicola Francesco Haym`s libretto, describe the beginning of Cleopatra`s reign together with her brother and husband Ptolemy, the involvement of Pompey and his family, and her passionate romance with the most influential Roman leader of all time, Julius Caesar. Haym and Handel both successfully paint a picture for us of what the lives of these world famous country leaders were like, with all of their political struggles for maintaining their positions.

---

Ivana Zdravkova (1989) is an operatic singer born in Skopje, Macedonia, and raised both in Skopje and Melbourne, Australia. She studied music theater/opera in Graz, Austria and year 2014 earned her Master of Arts degree.

---