For the third year running, ‘Opera Italiana is in the Air’ will be presenting a free outdoor concert. Featuring some of the top stars in Italian opera and bringing the art form to new and younger audiences, the concert will take place at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park at 7:00 pm on Monday, July 1st. Thousands are expected to attend the stirring 90-minute performance, which will give people the opportunity to experience and enjoy Italian opera firsthand, in a casual, family-friendly, open-air environment.
The evening of Italian opera under the setting sun in Central Park will highlight a selection of beloved overtures and arias by Rossini, Verdi and Puccini. Featured performers will include renowned tenor Antonio Poli and acclaimed soprano Maria Mudryak. Additionally, 11-year-old composer and singer Paloma Dineli Chesky of the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers Program will perform.
Maestro Alvise Casellati will conduct the Opera Italiana Symphony Orchestra, which will be comprised of members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, along with top students from schools including Juilliard, the Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music.
“We are honored and excited to bring Opera Italiana is in the Air to Central Park and New Yorkers. It is a one of a kind performance featuring a superb lineup of master musicians and world class Italian opera with the aim of sharing a unique and magical part of Italian culture with the city,” said Alvise Casellati. “Our mission is to make opera accessible to everyone, especially young people, in a fun and relaxed environment. I hope the enchanting arias and beautiful voices will give the audience an unforgettable experience and make them fall in love with Italian opera.”
Antonio Poli is a highly sought after tenor and has already appeared this season at the Italian opera houses, Teatro San Carlo in Naples and Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence. In just a short time, Italian soprano Maria Mudryak, 25, has already celebrated successes in roles such as Violetta in La Traviata, Mimì in La Bohème and Liù in Turandot at some of the most prestigious international opera stages. For more information about Opera Italiana is in the Air, please visit www.operaitalianaisintheair.com.
