Catherine Malfitano at Casa Italiana
On Thursday February 18, for the series Adventures in Italian Opera with Fred Plotkin, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò had the honor of hosting the legendary soprano Catherine Malfitano. Introduced by the Casa’s Assistant Director Kostja Kostic, Mr. Plotkin and Ms. Malfitano entertained the full Auditorium for two whole hours of passionate stories, personal feelings about opera, and a few extraordinary clips from the singer’s career. Ms. Malfitano talked about her Italian origins, her artistic upbringing, and her preparation for roles as vocally and theatrically diverse as Tosca, Salome, Violetta and Antonia.
She also answered questions from the public about what it feels like to receive an ovation, answering that it doesn’t even compare to giving birth to her daughter Daphne, who is now a writer, and was also present. She also explained the difference between her teaching and directing experiences, her two main activities today. The public responded with many long applauses, especially after the screening of the final moments from Richard Strauss’ Salome.