PAGE SIX The Italian Tribune - La Tribuna del Popolo Friday, August 7 - August 20, 2009 A year-long series 100 Years of Italian American History highlighting businesses and community members A Historical Perspective on the Italian American Community in Metro Detroit from 1909 to today. David DiChiera Italian Offers Culture to Detroit Submitted graciously by Armand Delicato The Italian Province of Calabria at the toe of Italy, DiChiera has continued to contribute to his adopted is a place of tremendous beauty that has a tragic history city and state. throughout the ages. By the time that Italy became a In the tradition of the Italian Renaissance united country in the late 1800’s, the grinding poverty personalities he has promoted his city and state and and seeming lack of opportunity drove hundreds and the arts. Opera’s Italian roots being recognized thousands of its citizens to emigrate in order to improve throughout the world, it is especially gratifying to have their lives as well as provide opportunities for their a son of Italy play such a prominent role in the cultural children. life of this region. Among the emigrants from this region were Cosimo Viva David DiChiera! DiChiera and his wife, Maria Pezzanitti, who left the village of Gongola in 1920 along with their two-year- WORLD PREMIERE! old son, heading for McKeesport, Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh. In Pennsylvania the family grew with the birth of Umberto, Jolanda, Elena and David. Sadly the family’s happiness was mitigated when the oldest Cyrano son died. Disenchanted with Pennsylvania the family moved to Southern California in the 1940’s where David’s love a World Premiere Opera of music and learning led him to the UCLA School of by David DiChiera music where he earned a doctorate in Musicology. Winning the Fullbright award in 1958 resulted in further Based upon Edmond Rostand’s literary masterpiece, “Cyrano de Bergerac” study in the land of his ancestors where he was THE ULTIMATE TALE OF DECEPTION AND DESPAIR! commissioned to compose a piano concerto for the David DiChiera, General Director Performed in French with Libretto and Stage Direction by Bernard Uzan Naples Festival of Contemporary Italian and American English Surtitle Translation Orchestrated & Conducted by Mark D. Flint Set & Costume Design by John Pascoe World Premiere: Lighting by Donald Thomas Music. While in Italy he wrote articles for the most Sat. Oct. 13, 2007 at 6:00PM important music encyclopedia in Italy, Germany and the Wed. Oct. 17, 2007 at 7:30PM Sat. Oct. 20, 2007 at 7:30PM Fri. Oct. 26, 2007 at 7:30PM United States. Sun. Oct. 28, 2007 at 2:30PM Production Sponsor Title Sponsor When in the early 1960’s, Michigan State University FOR TICKETS: 313-237-SING The 2007 Fall Opera Season is made opened what was to become Oakland University in possible by Ford Motor Company. or www.michiganopera.org Rochester Hills, Michigan; David DiChiera was invited Pre-Paid Parking available in the michigan council for to join the faculty of the music department. Soon after, arts and cultural affairs Opera House Parking Center he was named Assistant Dean for Continuing Upper Left: Advertisment Education in the arts followed by his election to from Dichiera’s world pre- Chairman of the Department of Music. At this Pointe miere opera Cyrano which David became a ‘naturalized’ Michigander, marrying opened in October 2007. Karen VanderKloot, a composer, educator, and stage Upper Right: David director who would be a major contributor to the arts in DiChiera, who graduated from metro Detroit. Their family includes two daughters who UCLA in in 1956 with high- have inherited their parent’s love of music and arts. est honors and election to His love of music and especially opera, the musical Phi Beta Kappa. His activites form often associated with his family’s native Italy, led as a pianist and composer David to segue from the Overture to Opera that garnered him the Atwater supported visiting opera companies to Detroit to Kent and Gershwin Awards becoming the founding General Director of the Michigan upon recievenig a Masters Opera theatre. Degree in Compostion at UCLA. He was selected to With the ending of the traveling Opera Company be a Fullbright scholar for from New York, the Michigan Opera Theater, known studies in Italy in 1958. He as MOT, became the local opera company was also commissioned by headquartered in the city of Detroit. by the United states informa- Under DiChiera’s leadership, the Opera Company tion service to compose a grew, presenting operas in the Music Hall, the Fisher Sonata for the Naples Festi- Theater and the Masonic Temple. It became val of Contemporary Music. increasingly obvious that the Successful Company While in Italy he conducted needed a home of its own. extensive research on the un- At a time when Detroit City seemed to be buffeted published manuscripts of by bad news and decline, the MOT purchased the eightheenth century opera. historic Grand Circus Theatre off Grand Circus Park Middle: Standing, David in Downtown Detroit and set out to restore its grandeur DiChiera with his wife and the and adapt it from motion picture to presenting live opera. infamous Luciano Pavarotti. Since the opening of the new Opera house in 1996, Bottom: A postcard of the Detroit has joined the ranks of great cities across the Detroit Opera House world with their own opera companies and theaters. Mr. Delicato is the author of On October 13, 2007, the Michigan Opera Theatre Images of America Italian in Detroit, he is a retired teacher of premiered a new opera by David DiChiera entitled history and a media specialist. Cyrano, based on the novel Cyrano De Bergerac. It was especially gratifying that Detroit was the scene of Editor’s note: If you have a business, club or individual that you believe deserves historical recognition in a future edition, call this widely acclaimed new work by Detroiter David (586) 783-3260 or email [email protected].