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- dance, opera, photography...

La Fenice

Teatro La Fenice in Venice and Beatrice Venezi – set to become the theatre’s first music director – cut ties

27 April 2026 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Beatrice Venezi

Beatrice Venezi is no longer the appointed music director at Teatro La Fenice in Venice. The theatre and the conductor have terminated their relationship. The theatre’s Foundation announced that … [Read more...] about Teatro La Fenice in Venice and Beatrice Venezi – set to become the theatre’s first music director – cut ties

Interview: Annalisa Stroppa on her God-given voice – the joy, responsibility, emotion… and gratitude.

8 June 2025 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Annalisa Stroppa - photo by Marco Borrelli

I talked with Annalisa Stroppa, one of the world's most sought-after mezzosopranos, as she was finishing a run as Carmen at Genoa's Teatro Carlo Felice. She's an attractive woman with a sunny … [Read more...] about Interview: Annalisa Stroppa on her God-given voice – the joy, responsibility, emotion… and gratitude.

Manuel Legris and Dominique Meyer – the Frenchmen are not welcome to remain at La Scala

1 June 2024 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Manuel Legris at La Scala, photo by Brescia e Amisano,Teatro alla Scala

“I'm happy to present this season, which will be the last one for me." Manuel Legris, the director of La Scala's corps de ballet, maybe was not as ‘happy’ as his words suggest. "Surprisingly I haven't … [Read more...] about Manuel Legris and Dominique Meyer – the Frenchmen are not welcome to remain at La Scala

[Interview] Talking with soprano Eleonora Buratto about Hoffmann, perfume and spumante

29 March 2023 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Eleonora Buratto, photo by Dario Acosta crop

The current run of Les contes d’Hoffmann at La Scala sees soprano Eleonora Buratto making her debut as Antonia. After the opening night, I asked her how she was settling into her new role. It's a … [Read more...] about [Interview] Talking with soprano Eleonora Buratto about Hoffmann, perfume and spumante

Rome Opera Season 2022-2023

24 July 2022 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Adams Passion - photo by Kristian Kruuser & Kaupo Kikkas

The Rome Opera season has been announced with nine programmes to be staged during 2022-2023. Dialogues des Carmélites according to Emma Dante live on Rai5 and Radio3 On Sunday 27 November 2022, … [Read more...] about Rome Opera Season 2022-2023

Operas and concerts streaming from Italy

28 December 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Cenerentola, Modena 2020

Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti, Modena Rossini’s Cenerentola is presented in a new staging by Nicola Berloffa on 30 December 2020 at 20.00 CET. Due to anti Covid restrictions, the work will be … [Read more...] about Operas and concerts streaming from Italy

La Scala stages an evening of ballet to raise funds to aid the flooded Teatro Fenice in Venice

15 November 2019 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Symphony in C with Maria Celeste Losa and Marco Agostino, photo by Brescia e Amisano, Teatro alla Scala

On Friday 29 November, La Scala will add an extra performance of its triple bill which opens tomorrow night, and the entire proceeds will go to aid Venice’s Teatro Fenice which finds itself flooded … [Read more...] about La Scala stages an evening of ballet to raise funds to aid the flooded Teatro Fenice in Venice

Mariella Devia’s extraordinary three queens at the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo

5 December 2018 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Mariella Devia e Sabbatini, photo by Gianfranco Rota, Donizetti Opera 2018

How extraordinary is Mariella Devia. In 2006 she gave her final performances as Lucia di Lammermoor at La Scala, leaving the public astonished that she was saying goodbye to the role after witnessing … [Read more...] about Mariella Devia’s extraordinary three queens at the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo

Maria José Siri answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

15 November 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Portrait of Maria José Siri by Victor Santiago 2

Q&A   in italiano When did you start singing? I started as a young girl… for as long as I can remember. Why did you start singing? I started by accident. I was supposed to go to my saxophone … [Read more...] about Maria José Siri answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

How much are singers, conductors and directors paid?

11 March 2015 by Gramilano 11 Comments

Italy's Classic Voice magazine has published a list of the current maximum fees paid by the Italian opera houses, and, surprisingly - though according to many singers I know, not surprisingly - the … [Read more...] about How much are singers, conductors and directors paid?

Riccardo Muti’s Ernani cancelled amid chaos at Rome Opera

23 November 2013 by Gramilano 3 Comments

After yesterday's meeting between unions and Rome City Council at Campidoglio, a union representative said that there was "zero chance that Ernani would go ahead, either for 27 November [the opening … [Read more...] about Riccardo Muti’s Ernani cancelled amid chaos at Rome Opera

Premier danseur Alessio Carbone puts on a tutu and wonders about having the body of Gisele and the voice of Bartoli

12 June 2012 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Alessio Carbone is a Premier Danseur at the Paris Opera. He comes from a family of dancers. His father, Giuseppe Carbone, was the director of the company at Milan's La Scala and his mother, Iride … [Read more...] about Premier danseur Alessio Carbone puts on a tutu and wonders about having the body of Gisele and the voice of Bartoli

Giuseppe Picone answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

8 February 2012 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Q&A When did you start dan­cing? I started when I was 10 years old at the Teatro San Carlo ballet school in Naples. Why did you start dan­cing? My elder brother Raffaele took me to the … [Read more...] about Giuseppe Picone answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

Gramophone Magazine’s Classical Music Awards 2011 – shortlists

17 August 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Gramophone's shortlists are out for this year's awards. No real surprises, but then those Gramophone people have great taste! Here's a sample: Opera: Die Zauberflöte - René Jacobs;  Akademie für … [Read more...] about Gramophone Magazine’s Classical Music Awards 2011 – shortlists

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Gramilano newsletter 2019

INTERVIEWS

Woolf Works with Alessandra Ferri and Federico Bonelli © ROH, 2015 Tristram Kenton

Woolf Works at La Scala – McGregor, Richter, Ferri and Bonelli talk about making the ballet

Delphine Galou © Giulia Papetti

Interview with contralto Delphine Galou: “making music together with love”

Roberto Bolle in Waves by Massimiliano Volpini, photo by Andrej Uspenski (4)

Roberto Bolle interview: Who I am now

Davide Dato rehearses Uwe Scholz's Rite of Spring with Giovanni di Palma © Gabriele Schacherl (5)

Davide Dato stars in the Italian premiere of Uwe Scholz’s The Rite of Spring

2015 Giovanna d'Arco, photo Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala crop

[Interview] Tenor Francesco Meli – 20 years of “not taking anything for granted”

The Nutcracker rehearsals - Claudio Coviello with Manuel Legris, photo by Brescia e Amisano, Teatro alla Scala

La Scala principal dancer Claudio Coviello on dancing in Nureyev’s Nutcracker

Interview with Roberto Bolle – I am more confident now, not just as an artist but also as a person

João Menegussi and Calvin Royal III in Touché - photo Rosalie O’Connor, courtesy American Ballet Theatre

Touché! Les Étoiles gala features a homosexual pas de deux

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GRAMILANO

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 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.

Since 2022, Gramilano has been pleased to welcome guest authors: Paul Arrowsmith, Donatella Bertozzi, Georgina Butler, Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, Jonathan Gray, Marina Harss, Ann Haskins, Lily Hyde, Marta Mele, Matthew Paluch, Jann Parry, Lucía Piquero, Graham Watts, Deborah Weiss, and Lydia Wharf.

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