A History of the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation
Since its inception in 1974, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation has been spreading its wings through vital assistance to young American and international artists by means of scholarships, study grants, and master classes presented by Mme. Licia Albanese. In the past 30 years, the Foundation has assisted hundreds of young artists, singers, instrumentalists, conductors, and composers who have appeared in opera houses throughout the United States and the world, including the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera. During all these years, Mme. Albanese has given free coaching lessons to many young artists from all over the world
About Licia Albanese
On October 5th, 1995, President Clinton presented to Licia Albanese the National Medal of Honor for the Arts. She received the prestigious Handel Medallion from New York City in 2000.
On Friday evening, February 9, 1940, a rather shy, young and petite Italian soprano crossed the Japanese bridge of the Madama Butterfly set at the old Metropolitan Opera House, looking hopefully toward a new future. Following her considerable success in Italy, France, England, and Malta, Licia Albanese had been invited to make her United States debut at the Metropolitan Opera.
Her success was instantaneous, and Mme. Albanese remained at the Met for 26 seasons, performing a total of 427 performances of 17 roles in 16 operas, and along the way, becoming a United States citizen. In recital, concert, and opera, she was heard throughout the country; she participated in benefits, entertained the troops, had her own weekly radio show, was a guest on other broadcasts and telecasts, and recorded frequently. She was a member of the San Francisco Opera for 20 seasons, singing more than 120 performances of 22 roles in 20 operas. In an age as video-oriented as ours, it may seem surprising that Licia Albanese appeared in the very first live telecast from the Metropolitan Opera - Verdi's Otello - opposite Ramon Vinay and Leonard Warren, conducted by Fritz Busch.
Outstanding in every role she undertook, Mme. Albanese is particularly renowned for her Cio-Cio San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, and Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme. Her popularity in La Traviata was such that she sang more performances of that opera at the Met and the San Francisco Opera than any other singer in either company's history.
To all of her work, Mme. Albanese has brought passion and commitment, with her rich soprano voice equalized throughout its range, thrilling us in climaxes. Her sure theatrical instinct allowed her to match musical and dramatical mastery. She knew that acting was achieved, not just through the voice or the face, but through the entire body. When she sang, an object lesson materialized on stage in what constitutes the lifeblood of communication. Singing, to her, was a lot more than the succession of pretty notes. It was the production of a long arc of melody, infinitely varied, unfolding itself around the drama. One did not have to understand either Italian or French to understand what was happening to her characters. Her poignant portrayals had a quality that stands apart from the dramatic talent and transcends it - the ability to create atmosphere and, through the great sincerity of her involvement, to reach us and touch us. She did not merely sing a role, she infused it, and it infused her.
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