Starting at 7pm on July 1st, Central Park will host a concert honoring the famous Italian composers, Giuseppe Verdi [2], Giacomo Puccini [3] and Gioachino Rossini [4] and their ‘Opere Italiane.’ 

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) is known as one of the greatest operatic composers of all time. The tragic loss of both his wife and two children within the span of a couple of years sparked his love for the arts. Among one of Verdi’s most popular and notorious works, La Traviata, will be performed during the concert in Central Park. 

Who many claim falls right under Verdi’s brilliance is Giacomo Puccini, an Italian opera composer who lived from 1858 to 1924. Some of his most renowned works La Bohème and Tosca will be played at the concert. 

The child prodigy, Gioachino Rossini, started his career as an opera composer at an early age in life. He wrote as many as 39 operas before retiring in his thirties. Rossini was known especially for his amusing comical operas, such as L’Italiana in Algeri which will be performed on Monday.    

“People of all ages and cultures who are not familiar with this art will immediately fall in love with it!” Says, Alvise Casellati [5], the President and Music Director of Central Park Summer Concerts. 

Alvise Casellati, an Italian conductor, has been in charge of the annual outdoor concert ‘Opera Italiana is in the Air’ since 2017. His goal is to make opera accessible to all people, especially the youth, through this event. 

Before taking on this position as conductor, Casellati was formerly the director of the Ensemble Opera Studio (EOS), a project that picked young singers from around the world to perform as singers in the Teatro Carlo Felice [6] opera house in Genoa. He also works with other important Italian theaters, such as Teatro La Fenice [7], Maggio Musicale Fiorentino [8], Teatro Verdi [9] and Teatro Petruzzelli [10].

Drawing from his experience and driven by passion, Casellati put together 90 minutes of Italian Opera for the July 1st concert. He expects a big crowd to come and experience the beauty of these beloved Italian classics in a family-friendly, open environment.