Giuseppe Verdi’s advice to young artists
Don’t imitate anyone, above all the greats…
The artists must scrutinize the future, and see new worlds through the chaos. And if on the new path you see a distant flicker of light, don’t be afraid of the darkness around it: walk. And if you occasionally trip and fall, get up and keep straight on.
Giuseppe Verdi
Letter to Vincenzo Torelli
Genoa, 23 December 1867
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
