Danilo Rea in concert in Lucca

On Sunday, June 30th at 9:00 PM, the second event of the Anniversary in Concert series takes place at the San Francesco Complex. This event features Danilo Rea, one of Italy’s most sought-after and talented jazz pianists. The concert is part of the 2024 edition celebrations marking eleven years since the reopening of the Conventual Complex of San Francesco, organized by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca. Admission is free with required online reservation at www.fondazionecarilucca.it, and tickets are available from 12:00 PM on Tuesday, June 25th.

For this special occasion, in the year marking the centenary of Giacomo Puccini’s death, Danilo Rea will present “La Grande Opera in Jazz.” This performance is a tribute to the composers who have popularized Italian opera worldwide—Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Mascagni—along with stars who have performed their unforgettable arias: Maria Callas, Mario Del Monaco, Enrico Caruso, Tito Schipa, Maria Caniglia, Beniamino Gigli, Amelita Galli Purci, and others. The concert offers a unique musical journey of significant cultural and poetic impact. It’s an interactive, visual, and auditory show enhanced by video projections of archival black and white footage, alongside striking contemporary artworks. Danilo Rea’s masterful interpretation brings to life the artistic value of voices from historic recordings and never-before-seen video images, blending melodies and musical improvisation seamlessly.

“La Grande Opera in Jazz” takes the audience on an extraordinary journey through the great opera arias, including pieces from “Norma,” “Turandot,” “La Traviata,” “L’Elisir d’Amore,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “Madama Butterfly,” and “Tosca.”