Food for thought

Italian Film Festival USA will present “Three Goodbyes” at 6 p.m. on May 11 at Northwestern University, Kresge Hall 1515. Marta and Antonio split up after a trivial argument. Marta experiences a sudden lack of appetite and Antonio, a rising chef, immerses himself in his work. But despite being the one who ended things, Antonio can’t seem to forget Marta. When she discovers that her loss of appetite has more to do with her own health than the pain of separation, everything changes: the taste of food, the music, the desire, the certainty of the choices that were made.
Based on the book “Tre Ciotole” by Michela Murgia. Admission is free; reservations are required. For more, click here.

Pop Olympian

One of the highlights of the Opening Ceremony at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina was Laura Pausini’s goosebump-worthy rendition of the Italian National Anthem. Never one to rest on her laurels, the Italian pop music icon has embarked on a world tour that began in March in Spain and will wrap up in November 2027 in Croatia. The U.S. leg of her tour will include a stop at the Rosemont Theatre at 8 p.m. on May 30. Over a 33-year career, Pausini has released 16 albums and has recorded and sung in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Latin, Chinese, Catalan, Neapolitan, Romanian, Romagnol and Sicilian. For more, click here.

Celebrated songwriter

Joe Pug will perform at 8 p.m. on June 6 at the Old Town School of Folk Music, along with John Moreland. The performance is part of the second annual Working Songwriter Forum, a long weekend of concerts, workshops, podcasts and open mics. A singer-songwriter known for his lyrical acumen and plaintive harmonica style, Joe Pug (born Joe Pugliese) dropped out of college and moved to Chicago, where he worked as a carpenter before breaking into the city’s music scene. He has released a string of critically acclaimed albums and has toured heavily in the U.S. and abroad. For more, click here.

To enjoy a video, click here.

Overlooked no longer

The sixth season of the Opera Festival of Chicago will run from June 13 to July 5. The festival kicks off with “Bohemian Tragedy” at 7:30 p.m. on June 13 at the Jarvis Opera Hall at DePaul University. Puccini’s “La Bohème” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. on June 26, 7:30 p.m. on July 1 and 2 p.m. on July 5 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. The final production of the season will be “Adriana Lecouvreur” by Francesco Cilea, with performances at 2 p.m. on June 28 and 7:30 p.m. on July 3, also at the North Shore Center. OFC specializes in staging neglected Italian masterpieces. For more, click here.

Comic down under

Internationally renowned comedian Joe Avati will bring his Italo-centric act to the Arcada Theatre at 3 p.m. on June 14. For the past 30 years, Avati’s routines about growing up in a culturally diverse background have gained him a cult following around the globe. Born in Australia of Italian ancestry, Avati has a razor-sharp wit and his observations are not only spot on but extremely relatable to his growing international audiences. Avati won Comedian of the Year at the 2024 ACE Awards and completed a 282-date world tour spanning two years with his award-winning show “When I was Your Age!!”  For more, click here.

Sacred voices

The Sistine Chapel Choir will travel from Rome to Illinois in June to showcase the Eternal City’s polyphonic tradition. From June 18 to 21, the choir will perform in Northbrook, Chicago, Naperville and finally in Des Plaines, for a concert at 3 p.m. on June 21 at the Des Plaines Theatre. Sacred Voices is made up of 40 singers emerging from some of the most important Roman and Vatican musical institutions. The choir willnder the direction of Pontifical Cantore Adriano Caroletti will be accompanied by Josep Solè Coll, the organist of the Pope and of St. Peter’s Basilica. The repertoire is varied, mainly dedicated to the composers of the Sistine Chapel Choir. The Des Plaines Theatre concert will also feature iconic arias from Italian operas. For more, click here.

20th-century genius

Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago will present “Enrico Fermi: Chicago Years” through June 19 at its offices at 500 N. Michigan Ave. Available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, the exhibition is dedicated to exploring the life and research of the Italian physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize and creator of the first artificial nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1. The exhibition retraces the remarkable journey of a key figure who bridged Italy and the United States at the heart of the 20th century. Admission is free; registration is required. For more, click here.

Super Nova

Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Aldo Nova will emerge from a long self-imposed hiatus to play at 8 p.m. on June 20 at Arcada Theater. In addition to his solo career, Nova has worked with, written and produced songs for Jon Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Elton John. He has also written for the likes of Faith Hill, Carole King, Clay Aiken, Garou and Blue Öyster Cult. He has toured the world with bands like Cheap Trick, Hall and Oates, Sammy Hagar, Blue Oyster Cult and as a headlining act. His first solo album went multi-platinum and his second went double platinum. For more, click here.

Like father like son

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Croce will bring his Croce Plays Croce Tour to the Arcada Theater at 5 p.m. on June 28. The son of folk-rock icon Jim Croce, A.J. has carved out a career of his own releasing 11 studio albums in three and a half decades and boasting 20 songs reaching Billboard’s Top 40 charts. His songs move fluidly through American roots, rock ’n’ roll, blues, jazz, soul and world music, creating a sound that’s both distinctive and timeless. A.J waited 30 years to perform his father’s music, only introducing his Croce Plays Croce Tour when he felt there was a meaningful way to honor his musical legacy. For more, click here.

Modern god

Artist Jyl Bonaguro recently unveiled her latest sculpture commission, a bust of “Zeus” in Italian marble. Standing 2 1/2 feet tall and weighing 750 pounds, it’s destined for a private collection in Canada. Bonaguro’s modern interpretation of the Greek deity is meant to be godlike but deeply human, caught not in anger but a state of reflection while remaining ready for action. The delicate gold veining subtly references Zeus’s thunderbolts. Bonaguro’s marble sculptures are hand carved and emphasize the “non finito” technique of leaving parts of the stone untouched. It’s one more step toward her goal of carving a female figure of Athena on the scale of Michelangelo’s David. For more, click here.

Sumptuous showcase

European history buffs will have a field day at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Deering Family Galleries of Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms and Armor. Unveiled in 2017, the expansive exhibit showcases nearly 700 objects from the museum’s rich holdings of art from 1200 to 1600 as well as an extensive arms and armor collection. Among the Italian items on display are a terra-cotta altarpiece by Florentine Benedetto Buglioni, works of art for the bedchambers of Tuscany’s merchant elite, and a tempera-on-panel diptych of the Virgin and Child Enthroned and the Crucifixion (pictured). For more, click here.

Giving tree

A pair of Italian Americans teamed up with several other local artists to transform the remains of a 200-year-old elm tree into a work of art. Rising up from the grounds of Ragdale in Lake Forest, “Diversity of Birds” was created by Jyl Bonaguro and Mia Capodilupo and fellow artists Margot McMahon, Anthony Heinz May, Nicole Beck, Julia Sulmasy, and Fredy Hauman Mallqui. Located at 1260 N. Green Bay Road, Ragdale is an artist residency program and community (ragdale.org). The Ragdale Tree Project was spearheaded by Chicago Sculpture International (chicagosculpture.org). The CSI has collaborated with the Chicago Park District to create more than 50 public sculptures from dead and dying trees. For more about Chicago Sculpture International, click here. For more about The Ragdale Tree Project, click here.

Italian conductor Emanuele Andrizzi spent years laying the groundwork for the creation of the Opera Festival of Chicago, which marked its fifth season this summer.

A native of Rome, Andrizzi led the orchestral program at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University for more than a decade before being appointed in August as director of orchestral studies at Shenandoah University’s Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.

Over the years, he has conducted at Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Philharmonic, Orchestra della Città di Ravenna, Opera Theater of St. Louis and Cluj Symphony in Romania, among others. He has also collaborated with prominent music festivals, such as Grant Park and Ravinia.

Andrizzi, who lives in Chicago with his wife and three children, spoke with Fra Noi about what brought him to the Windy City and his vision to introduce local audiences to lesser-known Italian operas.

ELENA FERRARIN: How did your passion for music develop?

EMANUELE ANDRIZZI: My father liked classical music and my mom had studied piano a little bit when she was young, and they would take me to classical music concerts. My mom started me on the piano when I was about 11 and started sending me to piano lessons when I was 13. I also played the organ for many years, that was my second instrument. I was one of those kids who listened to classical music instead of listening to Duran Duran. I went to a liceo scientifico (a high school with a math/science focus) and I entered the conservatory after high school.

EF: Why did you shift to conducting?

EA: It’s something that grew in me. I used to play a lot of chamber music and I was the official accompanist for three years for the International Composition contest “Valentino Bucchi.” I really enjoyed playing with others. Conducting is a similar concept: You work with other musicians, but you are more of a leader.

EF: What brought you to Chicago?

EA: I moved here in 2007 for a doctorate at Northwestern University. My research was about the difference between music directors and guest conductors. I followed Andrew Davis, the music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, for a year to see what he was doing and to interview him for my research.

EF: You worked at Roosevelt University from 2013 until earlier this year. What was that experience like?

EA: I was hired when Henry Fogel, who had been president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was the dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt. He wanted to create a more solid, more important orchestral program, and they hired me to do this. It was very stimulating, very interesting and very challenging. I had between 75 to 100 students in the orchestral class and I did most of the great masters, from Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 to Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, and a lot of other stuff.

EF: Why did you take the job at Shenandoah University?

EA: After almost a decade at Roosevelt, I wanted to challenge myself with a new experience. I took a sabbatical from Roosevelt to see if I liked Shenandoah, and then I decided to stay. So now I am commuting between Washington and Chicago.

EF:  What is your approach to teaching students?

EA: I really think that music is one of the few things in this world in which we can avoid fighting with each other. It’s one of the great unifying things. We all want to achieve the same goal, to make great concerts. I really try to foster this kind of approach to music, to play together and to partner with each other. I am not the old-style conductor who yells and demeans people. Of course, sometimes you lose your patience, but not often. At that stage, they are already skilled enough to know some of the repertoire and play their instruments. They just need guidance to refine their skills — and that’s my job, to help them develop their affinities and qualities.

EF: You spearheaded the creation of the Opera Festival of Chicago. What inspired you?

EA: There wasn’t enough Italian opera in Chicago, just the same ones over and over. There is a lot of Italian opera that is not very well-known in America. I spent almost five years just talking to people, meeting, gathering ideas. I also took classes for a master’s in arts administration at Roosevelt to learn about fundraising, marketing and financing, so I could launch the company.

EF: Where do you perform?

EA: In different places, like the Athenaeum Center in Chicago and Cahn Auditorium in Evanston. Next year we will be in Thalia Hall in Chicago and in Skokie (in suburban Chicago). The Opera Festival is not just about bringing great masterworks that are not very well known to the Chicago public, but also to create opera in a fiscally responsible way. Theaters in America are often too large for opera, which is meant to be sung without microphones. Opera is also very expensive — probably the most expensive thing after Taylor Swift concerts!

EF: What is your annual budget?

EA: Under half-a-million per year. Most of our funding is from fundraising. Ticket sales is a small share, as in every company in America. The Illinois Arts Council, the city of Chicago, the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, and Roosevelt University and DePaul University have supported us over the years. It takes a village.

EF: How would you describe the general public’s appreciation for opera nowadays?

EA: The public we had at the Opera Festival has been growing regularly throughout the seasons. Of course, it’s a process, particularly for a new company. People have to discover you. Last year, we had an article in Opera Magazine. For the past two years, our operas have been broadcast by WFMT-FM and also nationally and internationally on the radio. But the public is not the same as before the pandemic. People are not going for very long shows anymore, so we try to have shows that are 1 to 1-1/2 hours. It helps attract a younger public, which has been a problem for many companies. So far, it’s paid off.

EF: What are your plans for the future?

EA: To grow the Opera Festival to the next level. This season, we doubled the size of our board, which is really important for art companies and nonprofits, and we had two productions that were quite larger than in the past. The goal is to keep building on that, maybe with larger productions, and bring more Italian jewels to Chicago.

For more, click here.

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The above appears in the October 2024 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture. To subscribe, click here.