Studying Opera in Italy

Mallory Rabehl ’21, St. Michael, Minn.
Majors: Business Management and Music

Why did you want to travel abroad?

Dr. Nash, a voice professor, reached out to me about the Brancaleoni International Music Festival, an opera program in Italy. I was immediately interested in the program because it was held in Piobbico, a small village off the beaten path, so I knew I would be completely immersed in the local culture. Also, Italy is the place to go for opera music, especially the operas that I am most interested in, so I knew this was a prime opportunity to do what I love in an incredible place.

What did you do in Italy? What was the purpose of the experience?

The program was made up of about 30 students from around the world, particularly the United States and Taiwan. For more than three weeks, we prepared two Italian operas by Giacomo Puccini, “La Boheme” (the opera that the musical “Rent” is based on) and “Suor Angelica.” We also prepared recitals and an Opera Scenes Showcase. All of these rehearsals and performances took place in the gorgeous 13th-century castle in the center of the city. On top of lessons, coachings, and rehearsals, we had Italian language and diction classes, dance classes, cooking classes, day trips to Florence and the beach in Pesaro, and plenty of free time to get to know each other and explore the town.

What was the culture like in Piobbico, Italy?

The locals in Piobbico were incredibly friendly and welcoming. The community threw us a party on the first and last nights of our stay there, as well as the Fourth of July, with live music and free food. We spent the majority of our free time at some cafés and restaurants in town and really got to know the warm and welcoming employees. Tebo was a goofball of a man that makes the best pasta and pizza in town, Arianna was the biggest sweetheart and learned all of our names while we were at her cafe, and Luigi was the best DJ in town and loves “Billie Jean” way too much. They were always smiling and enjoyed life to the fullest.

What is your favorite memory from your time abroad?

My favorite moments of this trip were our “family dinners.” We cooked a lot of our own food in our apartments; the singers from Taiwan especially loved to cook. They were able to replicate traditional Taiwanese dishes with ingredients found in the local grocery store. Many nights after a long day of rehearsals and classes, we would all crowd into someone’s apartment, listen to music, dance, share stories, and eat amazing Taiwanese food. We really became like a family. I care so much about all of the people I met there and am so grateful for our time together.

If you could take one food that you had abroad and bring it to Moorhead, what would it be?

I’m both gluten- and dairy-free, so I hadn’t had pasta, bread, pizza, cheese, etc., in a couple of years. But in Italy, and Europe in general, the food is made with way fewer preservatives, so I found I could eat whatever I wanted with no issues. No pasta or pizza will ever compare to Tebo’s, so if I could bring that back to Moorhead I would happily eat it every day.

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

There were a few times when we left Piobbico to visit Florence, Pesaro, and Urbino. All of these places are so significant in art and music history, so getting to actually see the places I’m learning about in my classes was incredibly cool.

It was really fun to participate in this program with a couple other Cobbers, Kenny Hoversten and Abbie LaDuke. None of us were super close before the trip, but now we have these special shared experiences and really got to know each other in Piobbico. It was fun to do that together.

Singing in a medieval castle was a paramount experience. We were surrounded by so much history and it felt like we were really a part of the operatic tradition of Italy, immersed right in the heart of it.

^{Published November 2019}