To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of renowned Italian soprano Renata Tebaldi, the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, in collaboration with the Renata Tebaldi Museum and the Renata Tebaldi Foundation Museum, presents a special retrospective exhibition on this opera deity. Inside the halls of the Italian Cultural Institute on Park Avenue, wonderful portraits, exclusive photographs, and unpublished videos will be on display, describing the singer’s great American triumphs from 1955 to 1974, which transformed Renata Tebaldi into one of the most striking artists in the history of Opera.
From her debut at The Metropolitan Opera on January 31, 1955, where she triumphed as Desdemona in Otello singing alongside Mario del Monaco, Miss Tebaldi continued to appear regularly at the Met, to consistently sold-out performances, in addition to successful tours across the US as a celebrated singer.
Renata Tebaldi received the moniker “Miss Sold Out.” The successes from her American years were many and varied. The aria “Vissi d’arte” from the opera Tosca in San Francisco on October 19, 1955, received a standing ovation from the audience that lasted almost ten minutes. The following year, she sang in a concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in front of 40,000 people. As evidence of her global fame, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1958, and in 1960, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On March 6, 1961, at the Capitol’s Great Hall in Washington D.C., Renata Tebaldi sang in front of President John F. Kennedy for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Unification of Italy.
Renata Tebaldi has become an icon in Italy, universally recognized as one of the most important voices in the history of opera. “The celebratory exhibition dedicated to Renata Tebaldi also marks the importance and lasting influence of Italian artistry in Opera and across musical expression,” says Prof. Fabio Finotti, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of New York.
Renata Tebaldi, Miss Sold Out, will be on view from June 17 – July 13, 2022.
