2024 URI Italian Heritage and Cultural Month
Saturday October 12
Extramural Activity – Local Community Outreach:
Dante Society of Westerly
Dante Society Lecture with Italian Artist Franco Azzinari | “Eyes in Color”
Presentation by Professor Michelangelo La Luna
1:00 PM–03:00 pm – Auditorium of the Westerly Public Library
www.dantesocietywesterly.org
Tuesday October 15
“What is Italian Opera? From Greek Origins to UNESCO Recognition”
Talk & Conversation by Italian musicologist Danilo Prefumo
12:00-1:00pm – Hoffman room, Swan Hall 154
Wednesday October 16
“Italian Jazz Concert”
Prelude: The Mandolin ensemble
Italian Artist Pasquale Grasso, Jazz Guitar
-Intermission-
Eliot Fisk
7:30pm – Courthouse Center for the Performing Arts
Thursday October 17
“Improvisation for Classical and Jazz Guitarists”
Lecture by Italian Jazz Guitarist, Pasquale Grasso
10:30am–12:00pm – URI Fine Arts Center, C100
Extramural Activity – Local Community Outreach:
“Eyes in Color” Art Talk by Italian Artist Franco Azzinari
Presentation by Professor Michelangelo La Luna
5:30-6:30 pm – South County Art Association
For registration:
https://southcountyart.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=589&
Friday October 18
“L’italiano e il libro: portiamo in scena il mondo fra le righe” (Italian and the Books: Let’s bring to the Scene the World between the Lines)
A performance by students of Italian 305 (texts by Dacia Maraini and Gianni Rodari).
With Arnaldo Minuti, Honorable Consul General of Italy in Boston, and Ivana Marroncelli, Director Education Office of the Consulate General of Italy in Boston
2:00-3:00pm – Great Room in Green Hall
“Italian Dinner” (URI International Guitar & Mandolin Festival) *By invitation only*
Prepared by chef Michelangelo La Luna
With Arnaldo Minuti, Honorable Consul General of Italy in Boston, and Ivana Marroncelli, Director Education Office of the Consulate General of Italy in Boston
5:00-7:00pm – The URI Catholic Center
“Classical Guitar Italian Concert” (URI International Guitar & Mandolin Festival)
7:00 “Eyes in Color; Calabria Landscapes, Cuban Guitarist and Fishermen”
Display of “retouché” paintings by the “Painter of the Wind”, Franco Azzinari
7:15pm Pre-Concert Talk by Italian musicologist Danilo Prefumo
Prelude: The Mandolin Ensemble
Classical Guitar Duo, Lorenzo Micheli and Matteo Mela
-Intermission-
Sharon Isbin, Classical Guitarist
7:30pm – URI Edwards Hall
Saturday, October 19
“Eyes in Color” (URI International Guitar and Mandolin Festival)
Exhibition/Presentation by Italian painter Franco Azzinari
Moderator: Professor Michelangelo La Luna
“Eyes in color” is a project about the children of Amazonia that intends to focus on the importance of the rainforest as a critical place for fighting climate change.
6:30-7:30pm – URI, Edwards Hall
Light refreshments will be served
Followed by:
“Brasilian Concert: Duo Mantar”
Jacob Reuven, Ekaterina Skliar, The Great Necks Guitar Trio
-Intermission-
Hamilton de Holanda Trio
8:00pm – URI, Edwards Hall
Sunday, October 20
“Concert” (URI International Guitar and Mandolin Festival)
4:45pm: Pre-Concert Lecture by Danilo Prefumo
Mandolin Seasons: “Vivaldi & Piazzolla”
Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic
Conductor, Alexey Shabalin
5:00pm – URI Fine Arts Center, Concert Hall
Wednesday, October 23
“Italian IEP Fall Celebration”
For Italian IEP students & for all other current and potential Italian majors and minors, plus friends
Highlights:
- Presentation by Italian IEP Director Michelangelo La Luna, Italian IEP alumni, and by URI-Parthenope Napoli Dual Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering students
- Drawings Workshop by Italian Painter Franco Azzinari
With: Italian Music, Pizza, Gelato & more
5-6:30pm – IEP House, Upper College Rd.
Friday, October 25
“Eyes in color”
“Eyes in color” is a project about the children of Amazonia that intends to focus on the importance of the rainforest as a critical place for fighting climate change.
Exhibition/Presentation by Italian painter Franco Azzinari
Exhibition grand opening & remarks by URI President Marc Parlange
Greetings from President of NASO (Native American Student Organization), Vange Hopkins
Presentation by Professor Michelangelo La Luna
Poetry Reading by Italian American poet Laurence Sasso, author of Home, the Farm
Drawings Workshop by Italian Painter Franco Azzinari
3:30-5:00pm – Hoffman room, Swan Hall 154
Light refreshments will be served
9:00-5:00pm – Hoffman room, Swan Hall 154 (Open for Exhibition Visits)
Wednesday, October 30
“Italian Movie Night”
TI House 5-6:30pm
Wednesday, November 13
“Dacia Maraini: A Live Devoted to Writing”
A conversation with Michelangelo La Luna, on the birthday of the widely celebrated Italian author, Dacia Maraini
A performance by students of Italian 305 based on Tre occhi su Pinocchio by Dacia Maraini
4:00-6:00pm – Swan Hall Auditorium
The 2024 URI Italian Heritage and Cultural Month is a series of events
In partnership with:
URI International Guitar & Mandolin Festival: for schedule of events and to purchase passes and tickets, please visit www.uriguitarfestival.org
Sponsored by:
The College of Arts and Sciences
The Italian International Engineering Program and the Teodoro Raffaele Diaco Funds
Thank you to:
The URI Office of the President
With the Patronage of:
The Consulate General of Italy in Boston
External collaboration:
The Westerly Italian Dante Society
The South County Art Association
The De Rada Italian Institute
For more information, please contact Professor Michelangelo La Luna: laluna@uri.edu
The URI Italian Heritage and Cultural Month intends to celebrate the Italian Language and Culture through the Arts and Sciences, especially during the Columbus and Indigenous Day/Week celebrations, and the 24th Edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World promoted by the Italian Government – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The National Italian American Heritage Month was established by the United States Congress in October 1989 to honor the contributions of Italian Americans to the nation and celebrate their cultural impact across various fields, including art, music, cuisine, and politics.