Community Events
The British Institute of Florence
June promises a month of music and lectures on lungarno Guicciardini. Kicking off things on June 7, conservator Elizabeth Wicks reveals the ins and outs of restoring Artemisia Gentileschi’s Allegory of Inclination at Casa Buonarroti with an introduction by project coordinator Linda Falcone. On June 9, Busoni Competition winner pianist Chloe Jiyeong Mun will perform the eight Schubert Impromptus. June 14 promises a talk by Margaret Zaho on The Pallotti of Santo Spirito, while June 15 will see author Louisa Young (My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You) in conversation with director Simon Gammell. The following week on June 21, the Wednesday Lecture series welcomes Jason Arkles and his discussion on Ponte Santa Trinita. Closing out the month with music is The Velkro Trio on June 27 with their trio of cello, violin and piano performing Rachmaninoff and Brahms.
St. Mark’s English Church
The Opera at St. Mark’s program offers delights throughout June, such as The Best of Puccini in 90 Minutes, Italian Opera Love Duets, Carmen, Madama Butterfly and The Marriage of Figaro. Tickets cost 30 euro. On June 21 + 23, American pianist Nicholas Bavani will perform in a series called The Seasons, featuring music by Satie, Tchaikovsky and Chopin. Donations on entry.
Women’s International Network of Florence
WIN holds a Summer Party in the gardens of Chalet Fontana on June 14 at 8pm. Members and guests are welcome for this sit-down dinner with live music from Mary Loscerbo and The Bit Band. Members 40 euro; guests 45 euro. Register by June 7.
Kent State University
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University Florence program, KSU-Florence is hosting a special speaker series with Hollywood legend Don Reo, creator of Netflix’s The Ranch, Two and a Half Men, Everybody Hates Chris, M*A*S*H and The Golden Girls. During these eight seminars, guests will learn about the craft of storytelling, screenwriting for TV, working with actors, showbusiness, and how to pitch ideas for American TV streaming services. Several guests will be joining Reo for these events, including Mayim Bialik, host of Jeopardy and Big Bang Theory star. Everyone is welcome to attend these free seminars every Monday and Wednesday from May 29 to June 21 (6-7:30 pm) in the main lecture hall at Palazzo Vettori (via Cavour 26). Advanced registration is required and seating is limited, so register now for all events: Miriam Daquino mdaquino@kent.edu
The Season at NYU Florence
The Season is well underway at NYU Florence in Villa La Pietra. On June 13, Joanna Waley-Cohen, Provost of NYU Shanghai and Julius Silver Professor of Chinese History, talks about the impact of Chinese porcelain on Renaissance Italy and how it made its way into Italian masterpieces of the time. On June 15, composer Roberto Scarcella Perino presents a scene from his new opera, Enrico IV. NYU Florence will mark the Franco Zeffirelli Centennial with a screening of Tea With Mussolini on June 19 and open an exhibition of Hortense Mitchell Acton’s dresses from the 1920s and 1930s. On June 20, the NYU Tisch Continuum Company will put on their adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Singers from Accademia Verdiana in Parma will offer a Verdi workshop and concert on June 22. On June 23, Larry Wolff discusses his book, The Shadow of the Empress: Fairy-Tale Opera and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy. The Season ends on June 29 and 30 with Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s new opera, The Garden of the Finzi Contini.