There’s a very interesting book called “Flavor and Soul: Italian America at Its African American Edge”, which tells very well about an important aspect of the Italian American experience.  The relationship between the Italian Americans and the African Americans reveals more than one could think, about how the Italian Americans integrated into the A...

Walls of the Mario Lanza Institute and Museum, located on the first floor of the Columbus House at 712 Montrose St., have slowly muted and dated. However, some individuals are brushing dust off the memorabilia — and memory — of the prolific opera vocalist and film star. In December, after the merged parish of St.Paul and St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi...

06/15/2017 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM ET - Westchester Italian Cultural Center - 1 Generoso Pope Pl, Tuckahoe, NY 10707 - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE A one hour audiovisual presentation on the life and career of the legendary tenor from Philadelphia by noted Lanza authority Bill Ronayne. The presentation includes rare early private recordings and radio...

Italian opera is a musical art form that had its beginnings in Florence in the late 1500s. It was based on a number of performance genres that preceded it, including Greek drama, poems sung by a solo vocalist with single instrument backing and madrigals (a capella singing by 3-6 harmonizing vocalists).   The earliest known opera composition...

For nearly a century, the tantalizing recorded voice of the Italian crooner has touched the hearts of music lovers everywhere. Modern-day troubadours, such as Bocelli carry on this recorded musical tradition, a tradition that began when Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) made his first gramophone recording in Milan, Italy, in 1903.   The European rec...

October 11 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Philadelphia (PA), Venice Performing Arts & Recreation Center 1 Rector St   The Munier Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra in partnership with the State Lodge of Pennsylvania (Order Sons of Italy in America) presents a concert as part of the month-long, city-wide Ciao Philadelphia festival. During the fir...

MSSU is celebrating the "Italy Semester" and MSSU's long-running radio show "Southern Serenade" is featuring Italian–American tenor Mario Lanza from a new Sony 2-disc CD release on the evening of a Mario Lanza movie marathon on TV's Turner Classic Movies (TCM) channel.   Born in Philadelphia in 1921, Alfredo Arnold Cocozza became Mario Lanza...

By Niccolò Graffio   My clearest memories growing up of my father was of him being a workaholic. He had spent the first 17 years of his life living in Italy helping his mother and older brothers try to eke out a living on the family farm. His father immigrated to America and found work with the railroads.   As happened to many of our...

Celebrate the great voice and career of Mario Lanza with good food, music, friends and anyone interested in this beloved tenor. Activities include updates on the Society's events by President, Bill Ronayne, a live performance by an upcoming young opera singer, highlights from the Mario Lanza Show, a guest appearance by celebrated soprano Elaine Mal...

June 6 (Saturday) 1:00 pmMario Lanza Society of New York Annual DinnerA gala afternoon with special invited guests, sopranos Elaine Malbin and Zhanna Alkhazova and accompanist David Maiullo. Recordings of Ms. Malbin and Mr. Lanza will also be played. Sponsored by Mario Lanza Society of New York. Patsy's Restaurant - 236 W 56th Street, Ma...