In Miami, the Ricordi name is associated most with Dr. Camillo Ricordi, the internationally renowned surgeon and professor from the University of Miami and Scientific Director and Chief Academic Officer of the UM Diabetes Research Institute (DRI). His achievements and accolades include being the first to transplant insulin-producing cells in the pancreas – a procedure to reverse type 1 diabetes – as well as recently being honored by The University of Miami as a Distinguished Professor.
But internationally, the Ricordi name is known more for musical distinction rather than medical excellence. “I am the black sheep of the family,” Dr. Ricordi jokingly says in his thick Italian accent. “Casa Ricordi was founded in 1808 and many of the prominent people in my family have worked in music publishing.”
This year marks the bicentennial of Casa Ricordi, a dominant force in classical music publishing and the world’s most important publisher of Opera. Founded by violinist Giovanni Ricordi, a seventh generation ancestor of Dr. Ricordi, Casa Ricordi introduced music printing in Italy and was the first to establish the copyrighting of music.
In the soon-to-be-published Ricordi Bicentennial book about Casa Ricordi, Dr. Ricordi writes in the prologue: “As a member of the seventh generation and the first one who did not contribute in any way to the growth of Casa Ricordi, I thought it was appropriate to pay tribute to the generations that have preceded me.”
As part of the tribute to his preceding generations, Dr. Ricordi, in conjunction with Orchestra Miami, will present the Ricordi Bicentennial Gala Concert at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium. The program will mark Orchestra Miami’s 2008 season premiere concert and will feature Metropolitan Opera stars Aprile Millo, Mark Rucker and Eduardo Villa, with special guests Eglise Gutierrez and Gregory Schmidt.
“I am thrilled to bring these world-class opera stars, some of whom I have worked with for years, to South Florida to collaborate with Orchestra Miami,” says Elaine Rinaldi, Orchestra Miami’s musical director and conductor of the bicentennial program.
Tickets for the Ricordi Opera Gala are $18 to $58, all reserved seating, and may be purchased through TicketMaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 305-358-5885 or 954-523-3309. They are also available in-person at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium box office. For more information on Orchestra Miami, visit www.orchestramiami.org or call 305-274-2103.
In honor of Casa Ricordi’s tradition of cultivating young musical talent, the Ricordi Foundation for Music and Medicine, founded by Dr. Ricordi, is selling VIP tickets to the concert, with proceeds benefiting Orchestra Miami and University of Miami Frost School of Music. Prices start at $150 and include premium seating, private reception, a commemorative medallion and the Ricordi Bicentennial publication. To purchase VIP tickets, and for more information, visit www.ricordi.us, or call 305-804-9705.
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Casa Ricordi commemorative medallion
Dr. Camillo Ricordi
Casa Ricordi founder Giovanni Ricordi
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