On April 5th, 2016 at 7:00PM the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO) of the Washington DC Metropolitan area and the Music Conservatory "Cesare Pollini" of Padua, Italy will perform at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. AYPO Artistic Director, Christopher Zimmermann will share the conductor's dais with Italian Maestro Simone Tonin. Two outstanding sopranos, Cheryl Porter and Rosella Caporale, will perform a selection of music representative of both the U.S. and Italian traditions. The concert will include original and noteworthy arrangements for the Gospel pieces, as strings will replace the classic choral parts.

Three unpublished pieces, two of which have been composed specially for the April 5 event, will be played.

The Concert is part of a project launched by the American Initiative for Italian Culture (AIFIC) aimed to foster collaboration among outstanding music schools in Italy and the United States. The first concert, directed by Maestro Giuliano Medeossi, was held in Padua on October 17, 2015 at the "Cesare Pollini" Conservatory concert hall.

The project has been given the patronage of the US Embassy in Rome and of the Embassy of Italy in Washington DC. It is part of the broader AIFIC initiative "Two Countries – One Heart", which advances the AIFIC mission to build a two-way bridge between the United States and Italy in order to promote the appreciation of their respective cultures. It has been made possible by the support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington and it has been created in collaboration with Velut Luna, an Italian independent music label which has distinguished itself over the years for its promotion of young talent. The initiative has stimulated the production of high quality diverse music.

Source: Italian Embassy in Washington, DC