December 2, 2023 | 2:30pm and 7:00pm Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67 St. New York, NY (Between Broadway and Amsterdam). Come and celebrate Christmas in Italy with Cristina Fontanelli in her spectacular 20th edition of the annual show, an event not to be missed.

CRISTINA FONTANELLI award-winning singer/actor and PBS/-TV host for Andrea Bocelli, along with world-class musicians, a guest tenor, the Downtown Dance Factory youth, the Ukrainian Youth Choir and the Xaverian High School Junior and Senior Chorus will perform Italy’s best-loved songs, arias, Neapolitan and Christmas classics in Cristina Fontanelli’s 20th Annual “Christmas in Italy®” charitable concert.

Program includes Italian songs : Torna a Surriento , Mamma and Ave Maria, plus Christmas classics such as the traditional Italian carol Tu scendi dalle stelle and White Christmas ; operatic selections from La Boheme and La Traviata ; guitar/mandolin solos such as the Godfather Theme and the traditional Ukrainian Christmas carol “Carol of the Bells”. Here is Ms. Fontanelli’s CBS-TV interview and performance of the famous Neapolitan song "O Sole Mio" .

Musicians include : Joyce Balint, mandolin ( NY Philharmonic ); Bill Schimmel, accordion ( Grammy nomination ) and David Galvez, guitar plus young guest tenor Matthew Cerillo, and Santa Claus!

QUOTE: Ms. Fontanelli says, “I began this annual Holiday tradition 20 years ago to preserve Italy’s great classic and popular songs and the values they represent, for younger generations. We have been blessed to have continued, even during the terrible Covid Pandemic, and are considered a beloved NYC Holiday tradition.” [HEADLINE ]: “Cristina Fontanelli, Preserving Values Through Opera,” The Epoch Times. And “The best work came from Cristina Fontanelli” – The New York Times

This concert was conceived by Cristina Fontanelli and is produced by the 501 c-3 The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation, Inc. whose mission statement includes creating family-friendly musical productions giving young people performance opportunities and growing the awareness of the scientifically proven societal benefits of classical music and the arts. Tax-deductible donations can be made thru: www.thecristinafontanellifoundation.org 

About Cristina Fontanelli: (“Vocal Genius” – The New York Sun ) Brooklyn-born Cristina Fontanelli has performed throughout the United States and internationally singing title roles with the Palm Beach Opera, The Boston Pops and the St. Louis Symphony and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts from the Order Sons of Italy in America (previous recipient Luciano Pavarotti). She has appeared on PBS-TV and was honored by the Italian Government as an artist of Pugliese descent. She has performed for the Clinton White House and for the George W. Bush Presidential Inauguration. She appears annually at 54 Below and for Opera & Broadway of the Hamptons. She has won Best Actress in two International Film Festivals and sings in 9 languages.