Mimi Lerner's Son And Grandson Featured Humans Of New York

A photography project started in 2010, titled Humans of New York, has grown to 14.6 million followers on Facebook and 3.7 million followers on Instagram. As random people are photographed in the city by Brandon Stanton, a short story or quote accompanies each image. This week features Dan Lerner playing ball with his son Julian. Dan's mother is the late opera singer Mimi Lerner. The mezzo-soprano passed away in 2007 from complications of a heart tumor. See the photos with captions, learn more about HONY, and read details of Mimi Lerner's career, after the jump.

Lauren Flanigan Will Lease $3.6 Million Harlem Mansion For Music

Headmistress: Soprano Lauren Flanigan

"It's a throwback to a time when Harlem was still a rural village and not yet legally part of the city. An old clapboard house, widely considered to be the oldest single-family home still occupied in Harlem, has been sold for $3.6 million to a new owner who plans to turn it into a home and practice facility for struggling young musicians, the Daily News has learned. The famed wooden property, at 17 E. 128th St., dates back to 1864 and is one of the few surviving frame houses in the neighborhood. It was landmarked by the city in 1982. The new owner, San Francisco-based e-commerce executive Jack Stephenson, told the Daily News that he plans to lease the property to his friend, famed opera singer Lauren Flanagan [sic]. Flanagan will turn the house into a new location for Music & Mentoring House, a not-for-profit organization providing upscale affordable housing and mentoring to students studying in the arts.'She takes music students in a gives them room and board, feeds them, makes their beds and

The new Harlem location for Music & Mentoring House
 is in the center with the green stairs.

gives them instruction in music,' Stephenson said. 'There are boot camps and classes on how to get by in the business and she invites many famous friends like Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the musical Wicked to come talk to them.'....The stunning French Second Empire-style home has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, six working marble fireplaces and a country kitchen that leads outside into a garden. The house has remained the same, even as the neighborhood has grown and evolved around it and still has its original veranda, a pair of doudle-leaf Itlaianate doors, wood-framed windows and a sloping mansard roof." [Source] For an in-depth study of the past property owners, including Carol Adams who was once a famous member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, click here. More photos of the house can be found after the jump.

Elizabeth Novella Opens Mmuseumm 2 In New York City On High Note

Trilling Moment: Elizabeth Novella leads guests to Mmuseumm 2 with her voice.

If you saw the previous blog entry featuring filmmaker Casey Neistat and still couldn't figure out the owner of the soprano voice that opened his vlog sequence, the answer can now be revealed. The singer that helped launch the May 28th grand opening of New York City's Mmuseumm 2 is none other than Elizabeth Novella. The experience was captured by Casey Neistat in a new vlog (065) post as he met up with friends for the event. "Mmuseumm is a modern natural history museum devoted to the curation and exhibition of contemporary artifacts that illustrate the complexities of the modern world. Mmuseumm 1 presents 15 world-wandering exhibitions and next door, Mmuseumm 2 presents in collaboration with artist Maira Kalman, Sara Berman's Closet." [Source] Read a wonderful New York Times article about Mmuseumm 2 by clicking here. Mmuseumm 1 and 2 are open Saturdays and Sundays noon-6pm. More information can be found on their website. See the Casey Neistat video of the event (beginning at the 3:53 mark), and a few more photos, after the jump.

Diana Damrau Shows Off Favorite "Hotspots" In New York City

She Made It After All: Diana Damrau in front of the Metropolitan Opera. She gives Austrian publication Kurier a 

tour of her favorite hotspots in New York City. Every destination the soprano enjoys, including the Meatpacking 

District, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Broadway Dance Center, Macy's Department Store, the Frick Collection, 

and more, are included in the article that is packed with photos as well. (Photo: Ulrich Wagner)

"'Diese Metropole, so multikulturell, hat eine unglaubliche Energie. Wenn ich von New York wieder weg bin, merke ich, dass ich immer noch vibriere und eigentlich hundemüde bin. Kein schlechtes Gefühl.' So beschreibt Diana Damrau Manhattan. 'Ich liebe den Sog dieser Stadt. Hier kann man ganz ruhig leben oder sich voll reinschmeißen." Ein Mal im Jahr steht die Stadt, die niemals schläft, auf dem Programm der deutschen Sängerin. Dann verbringt Damrau – sie gilt zurzeit als weltbeste Koloratursopranistin – bis zu sechs Wochen in New York. Der Grund: Die 43-jährige Bayerin ist ein gefragter Star an der Metropolitan Opera. Heuer stand sie bei der Wiederaufnahme von Massenets "Manon" sogar mit ihrem Ehemann, dem französischen Bassbariton Nicolas Testé, auf der Met-Bühne. Auf den vielen Reisen der Künstlerfamilie sind die Söhne, Alexander (4) und Colyn (2), und das Kindermädchen immer dabei. Businessclass im Flieger ist da selten drin. 'Wenn möglich, buchen wir Economy Plus,' erzählt die Diva – eine erfrischend natürliche, hübsche Frau, so frei von jeglichen Allüren. 'Theater habe ich auf der Bühne, das brauche ich zu Hause nicht.' Bevor die Buben auf der Welt waren – Damrau hatte ihr

Debüt an der Met 2005 als Zerbinetta – wohnte sie am liebsten mitten im West Village, nahe dem Meatpacking District. 'Entlang des Hudson Rivers bin ich kilometerweit mit den Inlineskates gefahren. Heute gehe ich dort auf der begrünten High Line mit meinen Jungs spielen. New York ist durchaus eine Stadt für Kinder.' Sie liebt das Sex and the City -Flair im West Village. Bei Tag laden die unzähligen Boutiquen, Galerien und Cafés zu einem Streifzug ein. Bei Nacht werden Kopfsteinpflaster und Backsteinhäuser des Meatpacking Districts zu einer schillernden Kulisse. 'I love it,' sagt Damrau, die neben Englisch und Deutsch auch Französisch, Italienisch und ein bisschen Spanisch spricht. Wenn sie nicht gerade mit ihren Kindern einen Spaziergang über die Brooklyn Bridge 'zur besten Eisdiele der Stadt' macht oder mit ihnen den Central Park Zoo besucht, 'gehe ich ins Broadway Dance Center, suche mir eine der vielen Kurse aus, zahle 17 Dollar und tanze oder steppe eine Stunde.' Meist ist die Sängerin mit dem Taxi oder dem Bus – 'da sieht man mehr als in der U-Bahn' – unterwegs. Bei Macy’s, dem größten Kaufhaus der Welt, müsse sie bei jedem New-York-Aufenthalt ein Mal hineinschauen. Zu ihren Lieblingsmuseen zählt, neben dem Metropolitan Museum of Art, die Frick Collection. 'In sechs Wochen lässt sich, trotz meiner Arbeit, schon einiges in dieser herrlichen Stadt unternehmen.' Nach den 'Good Vibrations' von New York freut sich die Belcantospezialistin dann doch immer wieder auf ein bisschen Ruhe und Landluft. 'Ich bin ein Landei, ich brauche die Natur.'" [Source]

Buy Kiri Te Kanawa Former Twin Ponds Lane Home For $2.2 Million

Gate Not Included: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as Donna Elvira
 in Joseph Losey's film of Mozart's Don Giovanni

"Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has performed in the world's best known opera houses, and she called an Oyster Bay Cove Colonial home in the 1980s, when performing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The house with six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a half bath is now on the market for $2.2 million. Seller Judith Tytel, who bought the house from the New Zealand opera singer more than 25 years ago, says she remembers viewing it during an open house and seeing opera posters in the kids' rooms. 'She bought the house when she came to sing for long periods of time for the Met and in the United States in general,' Tytel says."...."A rare and gracious 3 story Colonial set on almost 4 acres in a quiet cul-de-sac. Once owned by the soprano Kiri Te Kanawa. This magnificent home boasts formal rooms filled with many original details, including 6 fireplaces, french doors, and wide plank floors. Other features include bluestone patio & pool. New roof, windows, and doors." [Source, Source] See a photo of the home, after the jump.

When Rosa Ponselle Was A Wedding Singer At Paterno Castle

Society Gal: Rosa Ponselle had friends in high places

"Rosa was rethinking her own life. Early in 1936 she ended her relationship with Russo because they argued, because he did not repay the $13,000 or more than she had lent him, and because Carmela and their father distrusted him. When the Metropolitan Opera tour took her to Baltimore in Carmen that spring, she met Carle A. Jackson, the mayor's son. Their romance, covered in articles in the Baltimore papers that survive in the clipping files of the public libraries in Baltimore and New York, quite naturally attracted the attention of the press. 'Opera star' meets 'prominent socialite' at 'Bori's farewell performance at the Lyric Theatre in Baltimore,' as the papers described it. But they tell only part of the story, for Jackson was the headstrong thirty-year old divorced father of a child, while Ponselle, who had turned thirty-nine the previous January, was facing personal and career challenges that were no less daunting than those of her earliest years at the Metropolitan. Whatever else it was, this was not 'love's young dream' but rather the free association of sophisticated adults. According to all accounts the two fell in love almost on sight and, after a courtship that lasted through that summer, were married on December 13, 1936,

Rosa Ponselle with sister Carmela (left)

in Ponselle's penthouse at 90 Riverside Drive. The man who officiated was New York State Supreme Court Justice Salvatore A. Cotillo, who knew both Rosa and Carmela well, for in November 1934 they had sung at the wedding of his daughter Helen to Carlo Paterno, another of the Ponselle sisters' circle. That ceremony, at 'The Castle,' the Cotillo mansion overlooking the Hudson River in Westchester County, had been amply covered by reporters. Now they were back in force for Ponselle's wedding. She wore 'a gray crushed velvet gown with a cowl and carried a muff of lavender orchids' because lavender was 'her favorite color,' she said. The soprano was giving away by 'her father, Benjamin Ponzillo of Meriden, Connecticut.' Carmela was the maid of honor, while Riall Jackson, the groom's brother, served as best man. The Metropolitan Opera tenor Richard Crooks sang 'Oh, Promsie Me.'" [Source] See more glamorous and rare photos of Rosa Ponselle, as well as some audio samples from 1934, after the jump. 

The castle of real-estate developer Charles V. Paterno, where the wedding was held in 1934,
with the George Washington Bridge in the background.

Opera-Loving Catholic Cardinal Edward Egan Of NYC Dies At Age 82

Cardinal Edward Egan listens to opera tenor Bryan Hymel
at the Waldorf-Astoria in October 2014

"Cardinal Edward M. Egan, a stern defender of Roman Catholic orthodoxy who presided over the New York Archdiocese for nine years in an era of troubled finances and changing demographics, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 82. Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, said Cardinal Egan died of cardiac arrest at NYU Langone Medical Center. As archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009 — the spiritual head of a realm of 2.5 million parishioners, an archipelago of 400 churches and a majestic seat at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan — the cardinal was one of America’s most visible Catholic leaders, invoking prayers for justice when terrorists struck on Sept. 11, 2001, and escorting Pope Benedict XVI on his historic visit to the city in April 2008. In February of 2009, the pope announced that Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee had been selected to replace Cardinal Egan in New York on April 15, concluding a reign that had not been popular with many Catholics but had come to grips with hard decisions on church finances and had walked the line of Catholic doctrine against winds of change. But a month before retiring, Cardinal Egan seemed to soften his stance on the centuries-old requirement of priestly celibacy by suggesting the church would someday have to consider allowing priests to marry. 'I think that it’s going to be discussed; it’s a perfectly legitimate discussion,' he said on the Albany radio station Talk 1300. He added: 'I think it has to be looked at. And I am not so sure it wouldn’t be a good idea to decide on the basis of geography and culture not to make an across-the-board determination.'" New York residents know that Cardinal Edward Egan was known for his strong Catholic faith, but few had the knowledge that it was his love of opera that carried on a tradition of bringing operatic talent of the highest level to St. Patrick's Cathedral. Annually at services for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass visitors can hear the likes of Susan Graham, Renée Fleming, Hei-Kyung Hong, James Valenti, Danielle de Niese, Carl Tanner, Joyce DiDonato, Stephen Costello, Ramón Vargas, Maureen O'Flynn, Marcello Giordani, and Michael Fabiano. In 2007/2008, the Archdiocese of New York celebrated its Bicentennial with many celebratory Masses and events. Edward Cardinal Egan hosted a much-heralded concert featuring various choirs and stars from the Metropolitan Opera. [Source, Source, Source] Read more biographical information about Cardinal Egan here.

Stars Come Out To Viennese Opera Ball In New York City

View image | gettyimages.com

Last night stars gathered at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for The Viennese Opera Ball, an annual fundraising gala, in New York City. "The Viennese Opera Ball in New York is an annual charity gala held annually under the auspices of the United States-Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Dignitaries, Diplomats and Debutantes 'Open' the international Ball, long regarded as one of New York City’s 'greatest annual events,' garnering worldwide media coverage for over five decades. There is nothing formulaic about the event; with four generations of guests, the Ball reflects the universal appeal of Austria’s cultural and culinary treasures. The gala evening features Opera, Classical Music and Ballroom Dancing including, of course, Waltzing. One popular highlight is the Midnight Quadrille, conducted by a Viennese choreographer. Following an 8 p.m. champagne reception, the Ball runs from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and includes a four-course dinner service. The 'Tanz Bar' (post-Ball party) follows from 1:00 to 4:00 a.m. and includes a full buffet supper with the Viennese Opera Ball's Signature Goulash Soup, as well as multiple venues featuring: a Jazz Band, Dance Band, DJ, Vienna Coffee House with Viennese pastries, and Casino. The Ball opens with the Grand March of Dignitaries and Diplomats. The ceremonial tone of the Ball Opening continues with the Presentation and Posting of the Flags by a West Point Color Guard. The Program continues with the Presentation of Debutantes (ages 16 to 25) and their dance Escorts (ages 18–30). A choreographed waltz routine by young ballroom dance couples (ages 18–30) is followed by a call for 'Alles Walzer!' (Everyone Dance!) and guests join the dancers for the first official waltz of the Ball. Peter Duchin and his Orchestra play continuous dance music throughout the Ball, stopping only for Program highlights or performances by the featured Opera singers." [Source] For more information about The Viennese Opera Ball, click here. See more photos of Alyson Cambridge, Sherrill Milnes, Linda Watson, Thomas Robert, Omar Sharif Jr., Amy Shoremount-Obra, Melissa Batalles, and more, after the jump.

View image | gettyimages.com

Renée Fleming Sings With Daughters And Sister For PBS Christmas

"American soprano Renée Fleming and special guests bring the magic of Christmas in New York to homes across America. The essence of the city during this most wonderful time of year is captured in a series of intimate and unique musical performances in a beautiful setting decorated for the holidays. Fleming performs popular seasonal favorites with Kurt Elling, Kelli O’Hara, Gregory Porter and Rufus Wainwright, and is joined by her daughters and sister to sing heartwarming Christmas carols. Guests discuss family, food, traditions and more, and scenes filmed around the city during the holidays make this an unforgettable musical experience. Renée Fleming - Christmas In New York premieres Thursday, December 4, 2014 on PBS. Backed by a who’s who of New York musicians, Renée and her guests perform beloved holiday songs, as well as 'Central Park Serenade,' a new song from Diane Warren. Renée Fleming - Christmas In New York features these selections: 'The Christmas Waltz,' 'Still, Still, Still' (with Kurt Elling), 'Winter Wonderland,' 'Silver Bells,' (with Kelli O’Hara), 'Central Park Serenade' (with Gregory Porter), 'In the Bleak Midwinter' (with Rufus Wainwright), 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' (with Gregory Porter) and traditional holiday carols, featuring Renée’s sister and daughters." [Source] Watch the video preview after the jump. See what special upcoming events are planned for Ms. Fleming by clicking here.

Pavarotti Slept Here: Purchase Luciano's New York Luxury Apartment

The late tenor seen here in 1996 leaving Hampshire House

"A spacious two-bedroom co-op at the Hampshire House that captivated the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti some 30 years ago with its treehouse vistas of the entirety of Central Park is poised to enter the market at $13.7 million. The monthly maintenance fees for the 2,000-square-foot apartment, No. 2301, at 150 Central Park South between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, are $4,785. Considering that the white-brick, white-glove Hampshire House, which opened in 1937 with eye-popping interiors by the iconic Dorothy Draper, has scores of staff members looking after the needs of its residents, the monthly charge seems comparatively equitable. The 37-story apartment building, with its distinctive copper roof and twin chimneys, converted to a co-op in 1949; although its board does not frown on international buyers in search of choice pieds-à-terre, it does insist on a cash-only policy.....Mr. Pavarotti, who died at age 71 in 2007 at his main residence near Modena in northern Italy, considered the Hampshire House the favorite

A Room with a View: Pavarotti's singing spot when learning a role in NYC.

of his several pieds-à-terre, according to Ms. Mantovani, who lives in Italy, where she established a foundation after his death. The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation supports aspiring singers and musicians; the Modena residence has already been donated to the foundation, as will a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the New York apartment. (Two smaller units at the Hampshire House that Mr. Pavarotti had used to house his staff and his bodyguard have already been sold.) In an email, Ms.

Palatial Panoramic: A Central Park view fit for the king of the high C's

Mantovani, who married the singer in 2003, said he told her he had first been drawn to the apartment by its views, roomy layout and the fact that it was within walking distance — and eyesight — of the Met. “His favorite room was the living room with its big piano where he could rehearse and get inspired by the magnificent views of Manhattan,” she said. “He adored New York City, which he thought of as a beautiful woman.” [Source] To contact the real estate agent for purchase, click here. Serious inquiries only. More photos and the apartment floor plan are after the jump.

Looking Back At The Old Metropolitan Opera House

"Most would find it surprising that The Metropolitan Opera Management sued to have their own opera house razed but that is exactly what happened in the mid-1960s. The Metropolitan Opera Association already had plans to relocate to Lincoln Center and they feared the competition that might arise if a new opera company took over the existing Metropolitan Opera House. Part of the reason the association wanted to relocate was because of the opera house’s plain, and what some called ugly, exterior. The opera house, done in the Italian Renaissance style, was even dubbed a 'third-rate warehouse.' What the exterior did not hint of was the building’s lavish interior. The group of wealthy New Yorkers designed the inside to be more extravagant than the competition, the Academy of Music." [Source] Read the whole story and view more pictures here.

Amato Opera House Will Be Retail Space And Condominiums

Bowery Boogie was granted exclusive rights to photograph the decaying shell that was once the great Amato Opera. Take a look at a fantastic slideshow with more interior photos and read more about the future of the building: "The current owner, Steven Croman, plans to turn this historic structure (built in 1899) into residential units for 'hedge-funders on the upper floors [plus penthouse] and one massive retail store' where the stage, orchestra pit, entrance and backstage are now." [Source]

Helen Donath Still Performing 55 Years After Making NYC Debut

An early portrait of the soprano who has sung for over five decades.

A native of Texas, Helen Donath made her New York debut as a concert and lieder singer. 55 years later, she will appear in Gotham Chamber Opera's upcoming season: "The first of the company’s four new productions will be 'Baden-Baden 1927,' a quadruple bill that recreates a legendary program heard at the Baden-Baden Festival of Contemporary Music on July 17, 1927. The most famous of the works heard that night was Kurt Weill’s 'Mahagonny Songspiel,' but the companion pieces were estimable too. They were Paul Hindemith’s 'Hin und Zurück' ('There and Back'), Darius Milhaud’s 'Enlèvement d’Europe' ('The Abduction of Europa'), and Ernst Toch’s 'Prinzessin auf der Erbse' ('The Princess and the Pea'). Gotham’s production, which will have the veteran soprano Helen Donath and the bass John Cheek in the cast, will be staged by Paul Curran at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, Oct. 23 through Nov. 1." [Source, Source]