Tania Di Giorgio, lyric soprano, is a stunning Mediterranean beauty with raven hair and intense ‘almond’ eyes, as she explains that ‘Patricia’ follows after Tania, since her father, extremely devoted to “St. Patrick” of the New York cathedral, wanted to add that name.
Suppose you also perform a lot in the US.
“That’s right, I am going there next December in Los Angeles, thanks to the invitation of Dean Andersen, a great international director who also directed me here in Spoleto and, as we know, par excellence hosts the “Festival of Two Worlds” founded by the great Maestro Giancarlo Menotti. And I go on, noting that I am privileged to be able to be in this beautiful Umbrian city surrounded by vineyards, hills and olive groves every year, working in the role of artistic director for the “Menotti Art Festival,” a festival straddling the experimental that takes place in September, along with the “Two Worlds Festival.”
We imagine a boom in attendance.
“Of course, we are talking about a place-theater capable of hosting more than 500 internationally renowned artists from all over the world, including Americans. I would like to observe that the particularity of all this is to bring back the ‘Menottian’ idea, creating a bridge connecting Italy and America. I do not deny, therefore, that I am overjoyed since Andersen has turned me around for various events in California. We will be doing a great concert dedicated to sacred music, also in anticipation of 2025, the Jubilee in the Eternal City, with music by Vivaldi up to the present day, and more melodies related to Christmas events.In addition, around March we will also bring the opera ‘The Telephone’ that Menotti conducted right here with “Menotti’s Orchestra,” confirmed to be a great success also in 2023 by the public and critics.”
When he talks about America, his face lights up like a rare pearl.
“Well…my father lives there and I say this remembering the great, great love story of my parents. You have to know that my dad was transferred as a little boy right to America…an emigrant who was later granted American citizenship, although his origins are Abruzzese, from a small town in Sulmona, Secinaro, which is his birthplace, while mom, on the other hand, is from Ciociara, from Roccasecca, which is in Lazio. Here, they met in America fifty years ago and I was born. Hence the strong attachment to that country for various reasons including the figure of Menotti whom I am very fond of, carrying him in my heart, since he is an author extremely close to me as well as a leading figure of the 1900s. And I continue now to Dad who lives in Ohio, in Stoubenville.”
A break, a coffee followed by two pastries as she turns her gaze and mind back.
“I met him when I grew up, when I was 28 years old, married, complete with children and a career person. I went to his house with my paternal grandmother still alive, unlike my dead grandfather.”
And here she is turning and turning the spoon again in the midst of surfacing memories that indelibly left their mark.
“My father hearing my voice for the first time, little by little he became more and more fascinated, especially by ‘Forget-me-nots’ ,his favorite song about my life.”
About his life?
“Already, the premise reads – and he says this intoning musicality to the sky – Departed the swallows from my cold and sunless country seeking springs of violets, nests of love and happiness…my little swallow departed without leaving me a kiss, without a goodbye…departed…This is because my mother for a whole series of circumstances that I am not going to explain, returned to Italy 48 years ago, taking the little swallow with her.”
You in fact.
And two – three tears descend from the beautiful pearly face cementing the time that was.
“At the age of 28, as previously mentioned, I saw him again with follow up of endless embrace living with him, Forget-me-not…my life is bound to you…there is always a nest in my heart…forget-me-not!”
Logical to add that once again the bel canto took over as Tania Di Giorgio notes that her story is linked, and not a little, to this magnificent song capable of uniting common affections.
“Another thing in my opinion to dwell on,” he continued, “is that tenor Fabio Armiliato, whose wife was the great tenor Daniela Dessì, who sadly passed away a few years ago, was chosen by Woody Allen himself from among 1,000 voices for one of his important works. Fabio, overseas, is well known, since he has performed many times at the ‘Metropolitan’ in New York and, believe me, he is a very good and beautiful person.”
Let’s start again by talking about the press conference you gave earlier expressing yourself about a colleague, and again Amalfi, coming to Canada.
“The colleague is Marcella Foranna, a mezzo-soprano who is good, and very good, and with whom I actively collaborate in Italy; as for the next question, with great pleasure…how can I not deny it? I was honored with honorary citizenship in that of Maiori on the Amalfi coast.”
And “Art is an act of love” is referring to what?
“Being artistic director of the cultural association I created, ‘Menotti’s Academy,’ every year in Spoleto I organize, with the help of other people, such an international award that takes up the figure of Menotti. A truly great person who used to say: art is an act of love. As for Canada, it is linked to a women’s empowerment project with my friend Simona Bruno, a wonderful violinist, who works at Rai. I have been working with her all my life and our meeting was due to Giovanna Nocetti, an internationally renowned artist who, by the way, is my music producer for “Chicco Music,” her record company. Giovanna has done me the honor of producing my great works by following me for many, many years, producing my record system. Going back to before, we two ‘maidens’, will analyze the family discomfort unfortunately well present in the world, working on a whole series of concerts, as well as events, imprinted on the female figure with ample space towards the social. Why this? Because every woman is an added value despite the fact that it happens, too often, to be opposed and blocked in her initiatives. Therefore, the career woman can be everything: wife, mother and manager! All it takes is to believe in it, be highly motivated and walk that road fraught with difficulties as well as solid satisfaction.”
Do you know the little story of the ‘backward’ dance?
“No, I’m curious.”
Okay, the one from, “The woman can do anything, even dance backwards and in high heels!” And the burst of laughter comes simultaneously, asking him about the dates of such an adventure.
“The idea is to take this to Canada in 2025 for ‘Women’s Day’; a series of concerts, ‘Concert Hall,’ and later the Italian ambassador to that country will give us the dates. Others will then follow to Paris, Brittany and Normandy, all the way to Latin America. We will speak and invite all career women, with the purpose of getting that message understood. And all well united, strong in our motto and commitment: together you can!
We know that you are very attached to Monte Cassino.
“Right, let us then enter another record company and of a work of mine born after careful research on some manuscripts that took me more than two years, giving birth precisely to ‘The Manuscripts of Montecassino.’ Curious thing, it is given by the only soprano voice, me for that matter, collaborating with the Abbey of Montecassino, arrived at the production of the CDs, sold in that Abbey.”
So it is possible to find them.
“How not! On all musical platforms, and, which is very rare that I would like to emphasize, we are talking about manuscripts brought back to light with a secular, not a sacred character.”
Chista is really ‘na tough chick! Surely, in addition to dancing backwards in a 12 heel, she also spins them!
The article Interview with Tania Di Giorgio, Italian opera soprano with a US heart comes from TheNewyorker.
