The Soprano and the blues sax in Piazza Angelio

An interesting mix of music and styles is Piazza Angelio this evening in what these days would be termed as a “mash up” between a single clear operatic voice and a blues saxophone player. The art cafe which opened and closed in the space of a week may be gone but art is still happening in the Piazza nevertheless thanks to Riccardo at the L’Osteria. Sally Li a soprano who first came to Barga earlier this summer as part of the Cardiff International Academy of Voice with Dennis O’Neill has definitely fallen in love with the place was performing a duet with John Hightower a blues saxophone player. Although it was an impromptu unannounced performance, it quickly drew in a sizeable appreciative audience.

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John on only his second visit to Barga was last night after the performance expressing “deep satisfaction and joy on finding a vibrant working community such as Barga”

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Very bad lighting in this video as it was shot in almost total darkness but the sound is ok

China-born soprano Sally Li has dreamed of becoming an opera singer since she was 18.  Having obtained a BA degree in Music Performance at the Nanjing Arts Institute, China, she came to the UK and undertook a postgraduate course of vocal study at the Royal Academy of   Music, London, studying under Elizabeth Ritchie and Mary Hill.  She was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma from the RAM following her successful final year recital at the David Josefowitz Recital Hall in May, 2008. – source

Click on the link below to hear John playing a solo outside the L’osteria in Piazza Angelio
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• Lirica a cena – concert in Piazza Angelio
• Interview with Julia Lezhneva in Belgium
• Barga Music School – end of year concert
• Barga’s Sally Li sings as part of the events for Beatification of Pope John Paul II
• Concerto Lirico di Gala dedicated to Giacomo Puccini