Luciano’s Friends – The talent goes on | Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti, Modena

On September 6, 2012, the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation celebrated the human and artistic figure of Maestro Pavarotti on the 5th anniversary of his passing, presenting a great concert in his hometown, Modena. The venue was the Theatre   Comunale, which has been named after him.

The event also provided an opportunity to celebrate 20 years since the first edition of Pavarotti & Friends, the charity concert so dear to Maestro.

The concert featured Friends of the pop world and some celebrated colleagues from the opera stages. Andrea Bocelli, one of the most famous and popular Italian artists in the world, capable – as the Maestro was – to blend successfully the world of opera with the melodic music; Lorenzo Jovanotti, one of the pop singer who maestro appreciated the most and who also attended the Memorial in Petra in 2008; Elisa, who Maestro considered a huge Italian singer but also liked her a lot when singing in English; Zucchero, close friend and strong supporter of the cross-over, attending almost all editions of Pavarotti & Friends concerts; and Jeff Back, one of the most incisive and influential guitarist, idol of generations of fans of blues, rock and heavy metal.

The Academy award-winning composer Ennio Morricone was also on Modena’s stage. He is an international music icon, who conducted the orchestra in a special tribute to Maestro Pavarotti.

The event was presented by Fabio Fazio, who shared with the  artists some memories, anecdotes and reflections about the figure of Maestro, as a man and as an artist.

The performance of the “big” stars were preceded by young opera singers supported and promoted by the Pavarotti Foundation, willing to give them the opportunity to be heard and known, carrying on the desire of Maestro to be at service of new talents, sharing with them experience and passion. The young performers were: Alessandro Scotto di Luzio, Pablo Karaman, Alessandro Fantoni, Marco Frusoni, Giacomo Patti and Patti Julien Dran (tenors); Simona Todaro and Pervin Chakar (sopranos); Valeria Sepe (mezzo-soprano); Andrea Zaupa (baritone).

The Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana accompanied all the performances of the artists, under the baton of Maestro Fabrizio Maria Carminati (and of Maestro Paolo Buonvino for the performances of Lorenzo Jovanotti and Elisa).

Photo gallery’s credits: © Gianluca Naphtalina Camporesi for Luciano Pavarotti Foundation.