Organized by the Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian American Club of Livonia Charitable Foundation, in cooperation with the Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan and Tuesday Musicale of Detroit, under the Auspices of the Consulate of Italy in Detroit.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

The Festa della Musica is inspired by the values of the international Fête de la Musique. An event born in France in 1981 that later became an international phenomenon. Nowadays, the Fête de la Musique simultaneously involve many cities all around the world. In June, at the very beginning of the summer, for the summer solstice, these cities celebrate music through a series of free concerts and musical shows. The “Festa della Musica” represents the occasion to create an artistic language free from any constraint and to rediscover the pleasure of being together.

When: Thursday, June 20, 2019 @ 6:30 pm
Where: Bloomfield Township Public Library – 1099 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Twp, MI 48302

Program : 6:30 – Presentation
6:45 –  Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan‘s annual Italian Songs and Arias Vocal Competition for Michigan High School Students

Kristine Overman: Io son l’umile ancella, from Adriana Lecouvreur, by F. Cilea
Jarrett Hazelton: O del mio dolce ardor, C. von Gluck
Rachel Miltimore:  Ah, Mai non cessate, Stefano Donaudy
Joseph Lauerman, pianis

~~Sopranos Kristine Overman and Rachel Miltimore, and Jarrett Hazelton are the three top prize winners of the prestigious Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan’s annual Italian Songs and Arias Vocal Competition for Michigan High School Students, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. The Verdi Opera’s mission is to encourage and support young vocal music students to develop an appreciation for Italian music and the Italian language, for everyone’s enjoyment and cultural enrichment. Through the years this competition has earned a reputation as one of the very best in the state.
 All the finalists, selected from many other vocal music students from high schools throughout the state who participate in the competition never fail to vow the crowd, at the Concert of the Finalists each year, with their captivating renditions of some of the most beautiful Italian art songs and opera arias. 
 Soprano Kristine Overman, the Winner of the competition in 2014, is now well on the way to a promising career in opera and concert. A BM graduate from UofM, where she studied with soprano Louise Toppin, Kristine just returned from singing the role of Countess, in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, in Prague, Czech Republic, and she will be performing in Italy later this summer. 
 Soprano Rachel Miltimore, Second Prize winner at this year’s Concert of the Finalists, is a home-schooled Keystone OSL straight A student – whose private vocal coach is Melissa Maloney, a former Second Prize winner of the Verdi Opera competition – has spent seven seasons as a member of MOTCC, performing on stage in children’s operas and as an intern with Rackham Symphony Choir. She is a winner of the 2018 Schoolcraft College Vocal Competition. 
 Tenor Jarrett Hazelton, Third Prize winner at this year’s Concert of the Finalists, is a 17-year old Junior at West Bloomfield high school, where his music teacher is Cheryl Hauk, and hetakes private lessons with American soprano Jocelyn Zelasko. Jarrett auditioned and was selected for the “Honors Performance Series” Choir that performed at the Sydney Opera House, in Australia in July 2018. Pianist Joseph Lauerman, is an accomplished music student at West Bloomfield high school, already with considerable valued experience as piano accompanist,  who will serve as piano collaborator for our young singers today, and who will pursue his passion for instrumental piano performance in college and beyond.

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7:15 –  The Student League Musicians of Tuesday Musicale of Detroit

~~Nickolas Hamblin is an active chamber and orchestral musician in the Metro-Detroit area. He has served as principal clarinet with the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Dearborn Youth Symphony along with many other fine orchestras. Previously, Mr. Hamblin has received first prize in many competitions including the Dearborn Symphony Young Artist Competition, Southern Great Lakes Symphony Competition, Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Young Artist Competition, Dearborn Youth Symphony Concerto Competition and the Michigan Youth Arts Festival Competition in 2019. He was also a finalist in the 2017 Michigan Youth Arts Festival Competition and the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra’s Concerto Competition. Nickolas studies with Ralph Skiano. Niclolas will be performing Paganini Caprice no. 15 in E minor (Clarinet)
~~Jonathan Shi is a 9th Grader at Bloomfield Hills High School. He has been studying piano with Ms. Marta Pietrzyk since he was 6 years old. He won numerious awards in piano competitions. In 2014 he won first prize in International Sonatina & Sonata Piano Competition in Texas and performed in winners recital in Carnegie Hall in November 2014. In 2015 and 2016 he won 2nd prize in solo and concerto in Carmel Debut International Piano Competition in indiana. In 2016 he won 1st prize in Michigan MMTA concerto competition, 3nd prize in Metro Detroit Music League Yough Artist Competition. In 2018, he won 2nd prize in Michigan Steinway Junior Competition, Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Student League Competition. Jonathan loves to share music with the community, he is first violin in high school honnors symphony orchestra, and performs both piano and violin frequently at local senior homes. In his spare time he likes to read, play golf and video games with his friends, relax with his cats Sophie and Wolfie. Jonathan will be performing Chopin – Impromptu No. 2, Op. 36 (piano)
~~Jerusha Taylor has been playing the violin since she was 2 years old. As a student of Velda Kelly, Jerusha has been a member of the Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Student League for four years. She is a previous 1st place winner of the Student League’s annual competition and has been the recipient of the Caleb Lei Memorial Award for Exceptional Musical Expression. Jerusha has previously served as the Assistant Concertmaster of the University of Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra, and she currently performs with the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra as the Principal Violin II. In addition to music, Jerusha is also a competitive Scottish Highland dancer and has won championships throughout the United States and Canada. She will be performing  with Samantha Beresford, pianist, Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 in b minor – Mvt. 3 . (Violin)

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7:45 –   Angela Ciaravino Theis, soprano – Dr. Bill Kupsky, piano

~~Soprano Angela Ciaravino Theis has captivated the attention of international audiences and critics alike, while remaining active in her hometown Detroit area. She is featured on the 2017 David DiChiera Letters & Fantasies album and continues to be an ambassador for Michigan Opera Theatre and the music of its late founder. Angela is an original member of the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio and served as Soprano resident artist from 2015-2017. A perennial favorite of Michigan Opera Theatre, she has performed Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, Beth in Little Women, Frasquita in Carmen, Papagena (Pamina cover) in The Magic Flute, Laurie in The Tender Land, Yvette in The Passenger, the High Priestess in Aïda, and Marzelline in Fidelio.
Around the country, Angela has been a soloist with various professional opera companies and symphony orchestras. She has won several awards for her scholarship and singing in Italy and Austria, where she studied abroad and completed a postgraduate fellowship. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Notre Dame and New England Conservatory of Music. She is the first recipient of The Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Dina Soresi Winter Award for Young Singers and makes her solo debut in Carnegie Hall this June.

~~Bill Kupsky has been an opera-lover, music supporter, and amateur musician since childhood. He studied piano in his native Pennsylvania with Stephen Hopkins and Bronis Voveris. Bill’s musical activities during years in college, medical school, and residency included performances in an assortment of concerts and activities with the MIT Glee Club, the Wellesley-MIT Madrigal Group, the Harvard Medical School Grand Rounds Singers, Present Mirth (an a cappella group), private voice lessons, and stints as an opera chorister in small companies in New York City. In recent years, he has been a super in numerous productions with the Michigan Opera Theatre and American Ballet Theatre and an accompanying pianist for singers in various home and public concerts in Detroit with the Detroit Concert Choir, Chamber Music at the Scarab Club, and Tuesday Musicale of Detroit. He currently studies violin with Maestro Anatoli Cheiniouk in Grosse Pointe Park and classical ballet with Ballet Renaissance Detroit.
Performing:
“Caro nome” by Giuseppe Verdi from Rigoletto
“Prendi, per me sei libero” by Gaetano Donizetti from L’elisir d’amore
“O mio babbino caro” by Giacomo Puccini from Gianni Schicchi

8:00-8:30 – Gathering – Library close at 9pm