A Stirring Within……

Operavision Brochure 2018A strange and bittersweet end to 2017, with so much emotion and so many friends having crossed, I cannot comprehend the losses.…..

My beloved friend and voice guide, one of the greatest people I will ever have known or will know, Madame Rita Patanè passed away after a short illness but it was not expected and she was so deeply mourned by her family, Francesca and Paola, and her many many students all over the world…. I will never be able to thank her, and will write even more when I can see better the keyboard….it makes me cry still…. such an honest woman of great integrity and an amazing voice herself….from the very school herself of Maria Carbone. Rita from my heart, I love and thank you with everything I am…..

The God took Dima, great Russian baritone and dearest friend, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. A giant energy left the world when he ended skyward….you can almost feel a shift in the orbit of the world….. his beloved Florence and children, his parents, his family…. I cannot speak of it still…. love him forever, and then to escort this great voice to Heaven is the beloved granddaughter of Puccini herself, and cherished friend, Dottoressa Simonetta Puccini…. in the course of our friendship I found such solidarity and loyalty and inspiration….. This woman fought to protect her Nono’s legacy….a woman that brilliant in such a man’s world….and she won….!!! through great wisdom and charm and true grit….after all Puccini’s blood ran in her veins…..Only people who didn’t really know her called her “tosto”…..she never wasted time with fools….but was always generous and open with young people who she knew were curious and genuine about their love for Puccini;s music…. I will never forget the friendship shown to me and the true affection….On Claudia Muzio’s birthday Feb.7th in 2014 I made my debut in the role of Giorgetta, (Muzio was the premiere Giorgetta for Puccini) and she was in the third row or so clapping and smiling and afterwards, gave me such a hug….. at the Teatro Carlo Felice in gorgeous Genoa…

I will write in great detail about these great people in my life….and the loves of all who attended Operavision Academy and especially Maria Vetere who she showered great praise and friendship…..her generosity and care….and that of all who worked steadfastly by her side in Irene Orlandi and Patrizia Mavilla…. and so many more cherished people…..

So, a stirring within to sing, to make music, brings me back to Italy…. to be reborn in the happiness of giving and loving…. and being there at any time is such a rare privilege…… so I have many wonderful things to share….. the first will be a collaboration with the fabulous young producer, Raffaella Franci and Theatron, with Paola Colombrosi as they have invited me to do a Master Class in the historic city of Castles and pageantry, Città della Pieve.… one on one, and it seems there is great interest, so how nice is this!!….. with a little visit to Franco Zeffirelli’s magnificent new Fondazione Zeffirelli and a Museo of melodramma that takes your breath away….. so very wonderful and important to see these great displays…..it inflames love for this magical world of opera…..

Please come by it begins in June, the 23 to July 1, and I am so very grateful to have working with me to prep the wonderful voices, my stunning colleague from Operavision Academy, Dr. Maria Vetere…..

and then to my beloved city of Verdi, where I won at 20 years old the 18th Edition of the Concorso Voci Verdiane, by unanimos decision the First Prize, a dream that I never imagined would ever gloriously happen and he would shape my life forever…..this year we return by special invitation of the Comune di Busseto, and Fondazione Museo Tebaldi in the great Casa Barezzi….. from July 10th to the 31 of July….. and some further announcements and details are happily being discussed so their is so much to share but for now…..here we are….. come share this with me….. music…. life….. and the dreams that never die……