The Music of Living

The stunning La Scala Theatre is 5 minute walk from the Duomo metro station, and if you are ever in Milan, you must stop in and take a tour or see a show. There are ballets, operas and recitals held all year long and this past week I was lucky enough to catch two shows. On Monday, I went to see Diana Damrau, a famous coloratura soprano known for singing "Queen of the Night" in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. She performed a set of Richard Strauss songs and Hugo Wolf lied. I went with my friend Deanna, and she and I were completely in awe the whole recital. Can’t forget to mention that we were within an arms reach of her in a box right next to the stage. We left feeling revitalized and inspired to go out into this world and make more music. One of the best things about being in Milan is that there are so many musical events happening all year round. If you come to study music here, I highly recommend taking the History of Italian Opera course with Enrico Girardo. He was able to get us FREE tickets to Orphée ed Eurydice by Glück on Wednesday night. We were actually discussing the opera in class on Monday so it was a treat to get to here it live with one of my favorite tenors (Juan Diego Flórez) singing the lead. I wouldn’t have been able to have gone if it wasn’t for the connection through IES Abroad. I’ve gone four times in the two months that I’ve been here and IES Abroad has given me three of the four tickets to go. It’s truly a luxury and a blessing to have been so many times, I’ve met some friends who live in Milan that have never been. There is no better place to be for music making than in Milan. The director of our program is amazing in setting us up with opportunities to explore music around Milan. I had a gospel choir rehearsal last night at the school of jazz which is something I never thought I’d be doing. The professor was kind enough to ask me to sing two solos in two of the South African pieces we are learning. Even in Milan, I am still able to explore and work on music from all over the world. I also really love working with my voice teacher. She has been so encouraging and has given me Italian repertoire that is so fun to sing. I hope that I can share a video on my blog soon for you all to see the work I’ve been doing. There is music everywhere here, all you have to do is take a moment to listen and you will hear it. If you are coming to study music here, please take the time to contribute your own voice. Until next time, baci (Italian for kisses).