10 days and counting!

Gees - I cannot believe all that goes into leaving the country for a month!  Thank goodness for family & friends!  I am starting to get really excited!  I think it's finally hitting me that I am going to Italy for a month!  

One of the most common questions I get is - "What part of Italy will you be in?"  My trip starts by flying into Bologna (northern Italy).  I will stay the night and then take a train 2 hours south-east to Pesaro.  Pesaro is located in the center, East Coast of Italy, on the Adriatic Sea.  From there I will take a bus to Piobbico.

I will be in the "Marche Region" of Italy, (Le Marche) near Urbino.  The city I will be in, Piobbico, is so small that you won't find it on the map.  Piobbico is up in the mountains and the climate there is cool (70's and 80's).  There are rolling hills and lots of beautiful countryside.  It is known for olives, cheeses, hiking and the arts!

Once in Piobbico, I will have my own 1 bed/1 bath flat!  I will be within walking distance of everything - right in the center of town.  My mornings will be spent at the Scuola Italia where I will have three hours a day of Italian class.  We will then break for lunch and in the afternoons and evenings I will participate in music rehearsals.  I will be able to shop for fresh fruits and seafood at the local markets and eat gelato at the local cafe!

The first weekend we are there we will present a night of arias and scenes in Piobbico.  I will perform Act III of La Boheme, by Puccini, singing the role of Mimi.  The following weekend we will again present a night of scenes.  This time I will perform the sextet from Don Giovanni, by Mozart, singing the role of Donna Elvira.  Finally our last weekend there, we will travel down the mountain to Urbania where we will perform all of Il Trittico, by Puccini, with orchestra.  Il Trittico consists of three one-act operas:  Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicci.  I will be singing the role of Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica.  We will perform this with a full orchestra at a beautiful historic castle.  *Yes a castle!

Throughout my time in Piobbico I will also have the opportunity to work with professional opera singers, coaches and teachers.  I will have one-on-one and group instruction.  There will be about 30 singers there from all over the USA and beyond.  This will be an amazing experience, I'm sure, and I will hopefully be able to use my computer there to keep in touch - so check back frequently!

More to come before I depart!