THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE DONIZETTI OPERA FESTIVAL (AFDOF) has been formed to support the efforts of the Donizetti Opera Festival, an international celebration held each November in Bergamo, Italy, the birthplace of Gaetano Donizetti. AFDOF is charged with encouraging the collaboration of scholars, artists, and Donizetti devotees in the United States and worldwide.

Based in New York City, the non-profit organization's mission is to work closely with its Italian counterparts to raise awareness of the Festival and the works and life of the great Italian composer and of his hometown of Bergamo. Recently recognized as the "Best Festival" at the "Oper! Awards" in Berlin, the fifth iteration of the Donizetti Opera Festival runs from November 12 through December 1, 2019 and features close to two dozen events.