The first notes of Ella giammai m’amò from Verdi’s Don Carlo, sung by bass Edwin Jamal Davis, opened the International Friends of Festival Verdi Gala at Lincoln Center, where music and celebration converged to honor the legacy of Italy’s greatest opera composer.
At the heart of the evening was the presentation of the 2025 Fortunino Award to soprano Marta Torbidoni for her portrayal of Odabella in Attila at the most recent Festival Verdi in Parma, northern Italy. The award ceremony also served as a preview of the upcoming edition of the Festival, which this year marks two milestones: its 25th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Verdi Off, the community-focused satellite program.
“For us, Verdi is not only a composer or a genius—he’s a life companion,” said Stefano Nevicati, mayor of Busseto, Verdi’s birthplace. “He lived every emotion with intensity. Anyone who listens to him knows it’s impossible to remain indifferent.” Nevicati, a lawyer by training, was in New York for the first time to promote the Festival.
This year’s edition, running from Sept. 20 to Oct. 18, will center around Verdi’s relationship with Shakespeare. Three operas—Macbeth, Otello and Falstaff—will headline the season, reflecting the composer’s deep fascination with the Bard, despite not speaking English. “Verdi kept volumes of Shakespeare at his estate and was inspired by the musicality of the language,” said Alessio Vlad, artistic director of the Teatro Regio di Parma.
Luciano Messi, the theater’s superintendent, extended a direct invitation to the Gala’s guests: “Parma is Verdi’s home. You can feel his presence not just in the theater’s hallways but in the streets. We work every year to honor that legacy without disappointing expectations.”
Messi also highlighted the work of the Accademia Verdiana, a rigorous vocal training program for singers under 30, led by Professor Francesco Izzo. For the first time, students from the academy traveled to New York City in January for masterclasses at NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò. “Singing Verdi is extremely demanding,” said Izzo, who accompanied both Davis and Torbidoni at the piano. “It requires precise diction and a broad vocal range. It’s an honor to guide young singers through that challenge.”
Barbara Minghetti, the curator behind Verdi Off, reflected on how the parallel festival has expanded over the past decade. “We launched Verdi Off ten years ago, despite early resistance. Now it includes more than 300 events—art, dance, graffiti, literature—that bring opera to places it usually doesn’t reach, like nursing homes, oncology wards, and prisons,” she said. “We’ve seen that when people encounter Verdi through other forms of art, it stays with them. They become part of a network.”
The Gala concluded with remarks from James Miller, president of the International Friends of Festival Verdi, who described the nonprofit’s rapid growth and evolving mission.
“We started eight years ago as a small group of opera lovers,” Miller told La Voce di New York. “Now we’re the largest nonprofit in the U.S. supporting an opera festival in Italy, with 120 members. The Gala is our biggest event, not just to celebrate, but to bring people together, connect with Italian representatives, and promote the Teatro Regio’s work.”
Miller emphasized the group’s growing appeal among younger audiences. “You’ll notice that many of tonight’s guests are young people, some experiencing opera for the first time. At first, they’re skeptical—but once they’re exposed to it, they’re hooked. Every year, several of them travel to Parma for the Festival, and most return the following year.”
