Cristina Fontanelli to Perform at Baruch's Engelman Recital Hall, 5/15

Acclaimed singer/PBS-TV host Cristina Fontanelli (www.cristinafontanelli.com) will perform selections from her concert, "The Great International Songbook" (plus wine reception) on Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 4:00 PM at the Engelman Recital Hall at the Baruch College Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Avenue, in New York City. Ms. Fontanelli's third-annual concert highlights songs of many countries to promote world peace through the universal language of music. The concert is scheduled to coincide with the Monday, May 16 World Trade Conference at Baruch College as May has been designated "World Trade Month" by the international business community. (http://trade.gov/worldtrademonth).

Ms. Fontanelli, known to PBS audiences in the New York area as the on-camera host for the "Andrea Bocelli: Live From Central Park" and "Il Volo Takes Flight" music broadcast specials, will promote 'World Peace Through Song' at her third-annual "Great International Songbook" performance. She will perform songs and arias in eight languages accompanied by world-class musicians -- Robert Wilson on piano, John La Barbera on flamenco/samba guitar and Lenny Feldman on accordion and mandolin. Third-grader Arvin Mou will play violin. Child ballroom dancers, Simona Tamburello (seven years old) and Jonah Mussolino (eight years old), will perform the rhumba/cha cha Ornella Fado (Brindiamo Television) will emcee.

Called a "Vocal genius" by the New York Sun, Ms. Fontanelli has envisioned this international musical program to preserve the great folk and classic songs/arias of the world and to bring ethnic communities together in an annual musical celebration promoting peace and understanding through the universal language of music. Songs will include such Spanish classics as "Granada," French classics including "La Vie en Rose," classic Italian songs such as "Torna a Sorriento" and "O Sole Mio," as well as songs in German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Yiddish and other languages, plus popular opera arias/duets.

During her illustrious career, Ms. Fontanelli has sung title roles with the Palm Beach, New Jersey and Cairo Opera companies, with The Boston Pops and the St. Louis Symphony, in New York City at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency Hotel and has performed for Jimmy Kimmel's "Feast of San Gennaro" in Hollywood. She is the voice of "Nonna" on PBS Chef Lidia Bastianich's animated Christmas special; and is the "voice" of Domino's Pizza on the national radio commercial

Ms. Fontanelli has also performed at the White House for President Bill Clinton, as well as at President George W. Bush's Inaugural Ball in 2005, and has completed three world tours with the Mantovani Orchestra. In November of 2014 Cristina Fontanelli was invited by the Italian Government (Puglia Region) as a world-wide artist of Pugliese descent to sing in Bari and Molfetta, Italy.

Brooklyn-born Cristina Fontanelli was awarded the OSIA Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts (previous recipients include Luciano Pavarotti), has been cited as one of the top alumni of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (along with Robert Redford, Anne Bancroft, Cecil B. DeMille, Anne Hathaway et al) and has been named "Woman of the Year" by many Italian organizations throughout the country.

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