May 21, 2024

Beyond the Score: Inside the Missouri Chamber Music Festival

Explore the world of chamber music with internationally acclaimed musicians Nina Ferrigno and Benedetta Orsi. They discuss the upcoming Missouri Chamber Music Festival, the challenges and joys of performing, their unique musical experiences with personal anecdotes, and insights into the musical pieces that have shaped their careers.

Show Notes
Guest Profile

In this episode of St. Louis In Tune, hosts Arnold Stricker and Mark Langston interview Nina Ferrigno and Benedetta Orsi about the upcoming 14th Season of the Missouri Chamber Music Festival. The discussion covers the festival's mission, scheduled concerts, and the significance of chamber music.

Ferrigno, a founding member of the Calyx Piano Trio, and Orsi, an Italian mezzo-soprano, share their backgrounds, career highlights, and personal stories. The episode also delves into contemporary music, its cultural relevance, and amusing anecdotes from their performances. Listeners are encouraged to attend the festival and support the arts in St. Louis.

[00:00] Welcome to Saint Louis In Tune: A Symphony of Conversations

[00:57] Summertime Vibes and Casual Banter

[01:32] A Return to Civility and Pronunciation Etiquette

[02:54] Spotlight on Nina Ferrigno and Benedetta Orsi: Masters of Music

[06:18] Exploring the Missouri Chamber Music Festival

[11:55] Benedetta Orsi's Journey: From Pop to Opera

[15:15] The Art of Music and Overcoming Challenges

[18:24] Previewing the Missouri Chamber Music Festival Concerts

[28:57] A Dive into Musical Innovations and Schoenberg's Vision

[32:05] Exploring the Intricacies of Contemporary Music

[32:45] The Impact of Politics and Culture on Music

[33:35] The Personal Touch in Music Interpretation

[33:51] The Ephemeral Nature of Music and Shared Experiences

[34:32] Behind the Scenes: Preparing for a Premiere

[35:11] The Magic of Live Performances and Festival Highlights

[36:09] Festival Passes and Perks: An Insider's Guide

[38:59] Upcoming Projects and Personal Plans

[39:56] Unforgettable Moments on Stage

[48:10] Celebrating National Days with Humor and Trivia

[51:34] A Collection of Jokes to Lighten the Mood

[53:46] Closing Thoughts and Appreciation

This is Season 7! For more episodes, go to stlintune.com

#music #opera #operatheatresaintlouis #mocm #chambermusic #calyxtrio #mezzosoprano #missourichambermusic #musicfestival

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Nina Ferrigno

MOCM Founder/Artistic Director/Executive Director/Pianist, Calyx Piano Trio

Nina is a founding member of the Boston-based Calyx Piano Trio, which excites audiences throughout the United States with expressive ensemble playing and brilliant virtuosity. She has been a featured soloist with ensembles like the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP).

Recent orchestral keyboard appearances include those with the Chicago Symphony and St. Louis Symphony. Her festival appearances include those at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony, Banff, Norfolk, and the Skaneateles Festival. She also appears regularly at the Carolina Chamber Music Festival and Missouri Chamber Music Festival, where the Calyx Piano Trio holds residencies.

Nina graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she received degrees with distinction. She is especially committed to bringing classical music to new audiences and expanding the repertoire by working with organizations, including Chamber Music America and the Barlow Foundation, to commission and perform new works in various settings.

Benedetta Orsi

Opera singer / Recording Artist / Performer

Italian mezzo soprano Benedetta Orsi, now resident in the United States, has been praised by Teresa Berganza as “perfect voice for belcanto”. In February 2022 Benedetta received the Paul Harris Fellow Award in Rome, Italy, as one of the 14 most influential Italian excellences, and only woman, to spread the Italian culture and art abroad. Recently, she was selected by Florida Grand Opera to translate into Spanish the Italian comic opera Il Matrimonio Segreto by Domenico Cimarosa, for their Miami premier.

Mrs. Orsi is one of only a few contemporary mezzo sopranos to have performed all three of Donizetti’s Tudor Operas: Jane Seymour in Anna Bolena, Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda and Sara in Roberto Devereux with Royal Opera Theater in Manchester, UK. Recent performances also include Adalgisa in Norma with Winter Opera St. Louis, the title role of Carmen with Winter Opera St. Louis, Amore Opera in New York, Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera with the Miami Lyric Opera and Maddalena in Rigoletto with Amore Opera.

Benedetta’s performance credits include roles in Verdi Rigoletto, Falstaff, Trovatore, Bellini Norma and La Sonnambula, Rossini L’Italiana in Algeri and Il Turco in Italia and Massenet Werther. Along with concert appearances at Carnegie Hall in NYC and throughout Italy, Austria, England, United States and Spain, she has performed with the Arianna String Quartet, St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Gateway Festival Orchestra, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, Boulder Symphony Orchestra,… Read More