Event Details
VIVA VERDI! is an intimate glimpse into the lives of the celebrated opera singers and musicians currently living out their ‘third act’ while mentoring international music students who live among them at Milan’s unique retirement home, Casa Verdi, built by Giuseppe Verdi in 1896.
The feature documentary follows the lives of these distinguished masters, shining a spotlight on Verdi’s legacy that is still alive and thriving one hundred years later. From these ‘guests of Verdi,’ age 77 to 107, comprised of international opera singers, ballet dancers, musicians, conductors and composers, we hear an extraordinary array of personal and professional stories filled with music, magic and passion, and ultimately learn why Verdi called this remarkable home his “best work.” His generous approach in caring for his colleagues in art, and the energy from the intergenerational exchange that permeates the house, makes Casa Verdi as forward thinking now, as it was then.
Exclusive In-Person Discussion with Director Yvonne Russo After the Screening!
Guest:
Yvonne Russo, Director and Producer
Specializing in cross cultural stories, Yvonne Russo, of Lakota and Italian descent, makes her feature directorial debut with VIVA VERDI! Currently directing an Onyx Collective Hulu four-part docu-series Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, on the life of Annie Mae Aquash an activist who fought in the American Indian Movement in the 1970s, with producers Amy Kaufman and Caroline Waterlow. She created and directed the PBS animated short, MINNIE’s WAR BONNET and MAYA LIN: ONE LIFE for Smithsonian Enterprises. Russo co-produced THE RESCUERS HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST, nominated for a NAACP Award, and produced Gale Anne Hurd’s feature documentary, TRUE WHISPERERS.
A long-time producer, and member of the Producers Guild, as well as the Directors Guild, Russo is a Sundance Lab Fellow and Tribeca All Access Fellow, recipient of The Redford Center Filmmaker Grant. New York-based Russo is on the board of NYWIFT. https://yvonnerusso.com
Moderator:
Dr. Emily Dobmeier, Executive Director Lake Placid Sinfonietta
Emily Dobmeier is a passionate arts leader, clarinetist, and educator who joined the Lake Placid Sinfonietta as Executive Director in spring 2025. Previously, Emily served eight years as Vice President of Operations and Artistic Planning at Luzerne Music Center, where she oversaw artistic programming, operations, fundraising, and collaborations with artists and community partners.
An active performer, Emily is Principal Clarinetist of the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes and has appeared as a soloist with that ensemble and at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp’s Summer Music Series. She has also presented and performed at Ithaca College, Wichita State University, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Emily teaches through Eastman Community Music School’s virtual World Campus and has worked with students of all ages, from collegiate musicians to adult learners. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, DePaul University, and Ithaca College.
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