Experience the
"Orchestra
Filarmonica di Roma"
By Our Staff Reporter
On the occasion of the
Italian National Day, June 2nd, the Italian Cultural Institute
presents the "Orchestra Filarmonica di Roma." This presentation is composed by twenty-four
musicians and directed by the celebrated Maestro, Ezio
Monti. This event is taking place at Lalibela Ballroom of the Sheraton Addis, on Sunday May 30th,
from
Gala Performance at Sheraton a Huge Success
By Our Staff Reporter
With a cast of very
experienced and professional musicians, the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra’s Gala
performance in the Lalibela Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton
Addis last Sunday (30 May), was bound for success.
The evening’s program
began with speeches from both the Director of the Italian Institute and his
Excellency the Italian Ambassador, which celebrated the links existing between
The Orchestra surpassed
all expectations, as did the soprano- Sabina Macculi,
who has been awarded many prizes, including the "Beniamino
Gigli." The tenor, also of great talent, Antonio
de Lucia, brought the house down after a rendition of "Nessun
dorma" (G. Puccini, 1858-1924), in the second
half of the performance.
After a total of fifteen
compositions, the concert came to a close, much to the displeasure of the
audience who all stood up, demanding an "encore." After an emotional
speech by the organiser- Luigi Panelli, an encore was
indeed played- three extra pieces to be exact, which were once again followed
by the audience calling for more.
After a final
composition, flowers were presented to the players an the evening came to a
close.
The sponsors, all the
organisers and of course, the players should be proud of their achievement in
providing the members of the audience with an unforgettable evening.
Interview with Dr. Giulia Del Fabbro
Dr. Giulia
Addis
Tribune:
·
· The Italian Cultural Institute
has been in operation in Ethiopia for 39 years. What would you say has been its
main Contribution?
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· There is not a main
contribution; to increase the knowledge of our Country through the diffusion of
the Italian language and the rich Italian culture is not only our own aim but
the aim of the 85 Italian Cultural Institutes spread all over the world.
Particularly
in Ethiopia, the effort to elaborate a program as diverse as possible, in order
to meet the requirements of Ethiopian citizens, requires us to organize,
whenever possible, events involving Ethiopian artists or events jointly
realized by Ethiopian and Italian artists; particularly we remember the
performance held in December 1998 by "Luigi Cinque
Opera Quartet" and local artists; the result has been fascinating, a
unique combination of local and European music.
Addis
Tribune:
·
· If we are not mistaken, the
Italian School is attached to the Institute. Please tell us about the school,
including the number of Ethiopian Students enrolled.
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· The Italian State School is not
a branch of this Institute, it is only located in the same compound. During
this school year the
Addis
Tribune:
·
· Is the Institute also arranging
for Ethiopian artists to go to Italy so the Italian people could benefit from
Ethiopian culture? If so please give us an example the kind of artists that
have been sent to
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· All these initiatives, including
scholarships that will be offered by the Italian Government after the signature
of the Executive Program, will be implemented, in a short time, thanks to the
new Cultural Agreement signed on April 1997 and recently ratified by our
Parliament. This Agreement will surely represent an important step in
developing our relationship.
Addis
Tribune:
·
· On the occasion of your National
Day the Embassy and the Institute will present "Orchestra Filarmonica di Roma". This
is a rare event for Addis Ababa Culture. Please tell us about the Orchestra and
what it means to the cultural scene in
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· The Orchestra Filarmonica di Roma, consisting
of 22 musicians, one soprano and one tenor and directed by Maestro Ezio Monti, will perform on May
30th at the Sheraton Addis, during a Gala Evening, will represent a unique
occasion to enjoy the great music that has accompanied recent Italian history.
We
hope that this exceptional event will reflect the image of the Italian Cultural
Institute's presence in
Addis
Tribune:
·
· Is this the first time that we
have received an Orchestra from Italy?
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· Yes it is the first time a
renowned Orchestra, such as the Orchestra Filarmonica
di Roma that, on April 1999, has also performed in
St. Peter's Square in
Addis
Tribune:
·
· One great contribution by the
Italian Cultural Institute is the availability of Italian language courses. Can
you tell us who is attending these courses and how Ethiopians are benefiting
from learning Italian?
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· Our Italian language evening
courses, offered at five levels are attended by 500 - 600 yearly students, both
young people and civil servants; the benefits that the Ethiopian participants
can obtain from such courses could be, for instance, the possibility of
continuing their education in Italy.
Addis
Tribune:
·
· One thing that fascinates me
is that the Italian Cultural Institute Center is not
only used by Italians but its also used by other organizations and embassies.
What are the criteria for allowing access to your facilities?
Dr. Del Fabbro :
·
· The Italian Cultural Institute
is always willing and pleased to cooperate with other Embassies, International
Organizations and generally with both the Ethiopian and International
Communities.
·