NEC/Italian Consulate Present Graziella Vigo's Photo Exhibit, "Verdi on Stage"
Graziella Vigo's "Verdi on Stage"
For Immediate Release:
May 30, 2008
New England Conservatory in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Boston will host Verdi on Stage, a monographic exhibit of works by the noted fashion, portrait and performance photographer Graziella Vigo. The exhibit, which will be on display in the inner ring of NEC’s Jordan Hall from June 1--30, comprises a selection of the artist’s photographs taken from Verdi productions in many of the world’s finest opera houses.
With her camera and vigilant eye, Graziella Vigo has realized a unique experience, as much professional as human: starting in 2001, the centennial of Verdi’s death, she took thousands of photographs during live performances of Verdi operas at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto and the NHK in Tokyo. From this tremendous cache she created a book, which is being promoted in the United States through this touring exhibit.
Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Un Ballo in Maschera, Otello, Falstaff and Zeffirelli’s Aida were the subjects of Vigo’s camera lens, and the photos capture details that many in the audience might have missed. They will delight the discerning eye of opera and photographic buffs alike.
The Verdi on Stage exhibit includes 110 large format photos printed on special canvas. The exhibit has previously been on display at the New York Public Library for The Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and at the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The exhibit is free and open to the public except when ticketed concerts are taking place in the hall or recording sessions are scheduled. Jordan Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday during June. Call in advance (617-585-1271) to confirm availability for viewing. NEC’s Jordan Hall is located at 30 Gainsborough St., corner of Huntington Ave. It is handicapped accessible.
ABOUT NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader among music schools, New England Conservatory offers rigorous training in an intimate, nurturing community to 750 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral music students from around the world. Its faculty of 225 boasts internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. Its alumni go on to fill orchestra chairs, concert hall stages, jazz clubs, recording studios, and arts management positions worldwide. Nearly half of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is composed of NEC trained musicians and faculty.
The oldest independent school of music in the United States, NEC was founded in 1867 by Eben Tourjee. Its curriculum is remarkable for its wide range of styles and traditions. On the college level, it features training in classical, jazz, Contemporary Improvisation, world and early music. Through its Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, and Community Collaboration Programs, it provides training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, adults, and seniors. Through its outreach projects, it allows young musicians to engage with non-traditional audiences in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes—thereby bringing pleasure to new listeners and enlarging the universe for classical music and jazz.
NEC presents more than 600 free concerts each year, many of them in Jordan Hall, its world- renowned, 100-year old, beautifully restored concert hall. These programs range from solo recitals to chamber music to orchestral programs to jazz and opera scenes. Every year, NEC’s opera studies department also presents two fully staged opera productions at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston.
NEC is co-founder and educational partner of “From the Top,” a weekly radio program that celebrates outstanding young classical musicians from the entire country. With its broadcast home in Jordan Hall, the show is now carried by National Public Radio and is heard on 250 stations throughout the United States.
Contact: Ellen Pfeifer
Public Relations Manager
New England Conservatory
617-585-1143
epfeifer@newenglandconservatory.edu