A beautiful evening of grand opera and ballet was offered to the Cleveland public July 29 marking the 10th annual “Opera in the Italian Garden.” An audience of 3,200 people enjoyed performances by the Cleveland Opera and Cleveland Ballet. This free event was made possible by the generosity of the Italian Sons & Daughters of America and ISDA National President Basil Russo.

To standing ovations, the public was treated to well-known music from famous Italian operas, popular Italian songs and solo ballet numbers by the Cleveland Ballet and Artistic Director, Gladisa Guadalupe. Selections were performed by tenor Mikhail Urusov of La Scala and the Bolshoi Theater, Dorota Sobieska, director of The Cleveland Opera and baritones James Binion and Jeremy Gilpatric, tenors Leo Del Rosario and Shaun McGrath, mezzo soprano Laura Avedy and Polina Kornyushenko, and soloists from Cleveland Ballet company Briana Habel, Andy Sousa, Rainer Diaz, and Marla Minadeo.

Matteo Silvaggio of Little Italy Wines offered free wine tastings for the public and wood-fired pizza by Sauce Pizza.  

The Italian Cultural Garden continues its mission, since 1930, offering the cultural arts of Italy free to the public in the beautiful Renaissance garden honoring Italy’s cultural greats in the “Arts & Letters” and “Arts & Science.”

Tax-deductible donations toward the $1.5 million restoration of the Italian Cultural Garden may be sent to: Italian Cultural Garden Foundation, 1284 SOM Center Rd. #316, Cleveland, OH 44124.