September 15, 2013 - Chicago, Lyric Opera Theater, Italian Cultural Institute

On the occasion of the bicentennial of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the Chicago Opera Theater presents Giovanna d'Arco (1845). It is a bold and vivid portrayal of the iconic Joan of Arc, a woman sacrificing everything in fighting for her beliefs and her country. Verdi excels in writing some of his most brilliant orchestral and choral music for this passionate story. 

In addition, the Italian Cultural Institute hosts a symposium on Joan of Arc on Sunday, September 15th, featuring:
Philip Gossett is a music historian specializing in 19th-century Italian opera. Author of two books on Donizetti and of Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera, Gossett serves as General Editor of The Works of Giuseppe Verdi and of The Critical Edition of the Works of Gioachino Rossini. He is Cavaliere di Gran Croce of the Italian Republic.

Jesse Rosenberg is a specialist in 19th and 20th century Italian opera. He is a contributor to the New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Pipers Enzyclopädie des Musiktheaters, and the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He is on the Faculty Honor Roll at Northwestern University.

Alberto Rizzuti is editor of the critical edition of Giovanna d'Arco, and Associate Professor of Musicology and the History of Music at the University of Turin.
In the afternoon, singers from the Chicago Opera Theater demonstrate pieces from their Joan of Arc production. Andreas Mitisek, General Director of the Chicago Opera Theater, leads a roundtable discussion about the opera.