During the summer season, Central Park in New York becomes a vibrant venue for various exciting performances, such as SummerStage and Shakespeare in the Park. Adding to the lineup of these beloved seasonal events, an exceptional open-air opera will be presented at the Naumburg Bandshell in June.
On Monday, June 26, the esteemed Italian conductor, Alvise Casellati, will bring his Opera Italiana is in the Air to the bandshell, starting from 7pm until 8:30pm. This performance marks the second stop of Casellati's tour, which also includes notable locations like Rome's Piazza di Siena, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and Art Basel in Miami, Florida. Departing from the conventional grandeur and costliness of opera in traditional theaters, Casellati's open-air performances are intended to be free of charge, informal, and accessible to all. Titled "Peace on Earth: The Art of Nature," this complimentary concert will be conducted by Casellati himself, featuring a collaboration between professional musicians and aspiring students from renowned institutions like the Metropolitan Opera, The Juilliard School, and the Manhattan School of Music. Notably, the event will include a composition by an 11-year-old prodigy named Issac Thomas, a student at The Juilliard School. Thomas's piece, titled "All Around Earth," was selected as this year's winning composition by Maestro Casellati following a review of compositions by Juilliard students.
Furthermore, the live concert will feature a rendition of the U.S. National Anthem performed by The Rising Voices Choir from the Music Therapy Department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital, accompanied by the orchestra. The performance will be streamed live to patients undergoing treatment at Lenox Hill hospital and also broadcasted on the Opera Italiana YouTube channel.
Alvise Casellati expressed his inspiration for the performance, stating in a press release, "Nature is the ultimate masterpiece, and it is the responsibility of each individual to take daily steps to respect and preserve it. That's why you will hear how our best composers celebrated Nature through their music, including the work of 11-year-old composer Isacc Thomas."
This is not the first time Casellati has brought Opera Italiana is in the Air to New York City. The maestro has previously conducted the open-air opera five times in Central Park, starting from 2017 up until last year's "Rebuild Harmony" concert.
