Billionaire backs Danish opera

Opera in Denmark has a new home after Maersk McKinney Moeller, a 91-year-old Danish billionaire, signed over a $417-million opera house on Copenhagen’s waterfront to the government. The first performance -- Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida” -- will be presented in January.

The sleekly modern opera hall -- with its bubble-faced front and four-story foyer -- was designed by Danish architect Henning Larsen. It will be part of the state-run Royal Theater, the city’s playhouse that dates back to 1770 and is the former home of the national opera house.