Renata Tebaldi Celebrated By Dolce&Gabbana Windows In Milan

"From 1st to 15th December the windows of the Via della Spiga 2 boutique are transformed into an elegant proscenium, paying homage to the great Italian soprano Renata Tebaldi, opera singer among the most popular and famous of all time for her unforgettable performances of Verdi and Puccini operas. The exhibit showcases some of the wonderful costumes the artist has worn in her long and acclaimed career, and kindly provided by the Renata Tebaldi Museum, images of the actress on the stage or in real life moments, and also original elements from the sets of historical works carried out at Teatro alla Scala. Objects, furniture and magnificent costumes, including the long turquoise dress of Aida and the velvet one of Tosca, give you the opportunity to relive the beauty and charm of the wonderful works of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. A blend of art, elegance and refinement on the occasion of the Premiere of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan." [Source] See more photos after the jump.

Sydney Opera House Serves As Inspiration For Miss Universe

Opera Sails: Not since the television show Dynasty
has the world seen power shoulders this dynamic.

"Dame Edna is as Australian as a jar of Vegemite - but would you want to replicate her style? The iconic figure is the inspiration behind a gravity-defying costume in the running to grace the stage at Donald Trump’s International Miss Universe Final. Giant cat-eye glasses, the sweeping sails of Sydney Opera House and tonnes of reef-inspired blue tulle make up the designs that best represent our country, as The Elucent Skincare National Costume Competition reveals its four finalists. The designs, which were unveiled on Sunrise on Monday, represent what it means to be Australian and will be worn by Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic. Previous years have seen the newly crowned Miss Universe Australia clad in earthy-toned outback themed designs, Crocodile Dundee couture and high-heeled woollen Ugg boots. This year has seen a step away from the sunburned country to the sea, as all four designers used Sydney Opera House as inspiration....The final design will be announced on Friday, October 5 on Sunrise. Monika Radulovic was crowned Miss Universe Australia in June this year. The brunette beauty fled war-torn Bosnia with her parents when she was just four years old. She went on to attain an honours graduate in psychology and hopes to bring light to Dr Charlie Teo's cure brain cancer foundation and ending world hunger through her ambassador role." [Source] See more designs after the jump.

Renée Fleming Goes Glam For Ruven Afanador In "Spirit And Flesh"

New York-based portrait photographer Ruven Afanador has captured haute couture images of soprano Renée Fleming donning Oscar de la Renta for the latest issue of Spirit And Flesh Magazine. Well known for his striking black and white photos of bullfighters known as torero, he has also worked with Anna Netrebko on several occasions as well as Sonya Yoncheva and Plácido Domingo. The article features an interview with Ms. Fleming conducted by Andrew Basile. "This will come as no surprise: I’m passionate about singing, but I don’t mean just classical or opera. I love great vocalism in virtually every style, whether it’s gospel, jazz, bluegrass or world music. The voice is our most primal expression – direct and unique to each individual. It also says a lot about our national culture and identity." Other topics discussed include describing her own voice; who she would like to sing to directly; exploring Appalachian music; what she feels before stepping onstage for a performance; hopes for her daughters; what opera she would make a film; why she is called the "anti-diva"; and much more. Read the whole piece here. More stunning photos after the jump.

Angela Gheorghiu Discusses Falling In Love And Being A Diva

Angela Gheorghiu photographed by Gabi Hirit 
with styling by Domnica Margescu and
 Maurice Munteanu.

In the June issue of Elle magazine (Romania), soprano Angela Gheorghiu talks intimately about falling in love with one of her fans, Mihai Ciortea, at the lowest point of her career. They have been together for two years now and are happier than ever. She also goes into detail about how she feels about the word "Diva" and whether it is a compliment, accolade, or even an insult when describing bad behavior. For the fashion shoot she wears a Dolce & Gabbana, possibly not hearing about their most recent scandal. The magazine will have more of the interview with photos, out on newsstands now. [Source] Watch a video of the soprano singing the duets "Gia nella notte densa" from Verdi's Otello and "Va, je t'ai pardonné" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, with tenor Teodor Ilincăi, after the jump.

Layla Claire Featured In Women's Wear Daily Prior To MET Run

"Soprano Layla Claire has been more than a little busy recently — in fact, she’s had to learn three new roles this year, including the part of Anne Trulove in the Metropolitan Opera’s version of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, which will open at Lincoln Center on Friday. On this day, she is wearing a printed Club Monaco dress that flatters her coloring — Claire is a member of a rare breed, the redhead who retains the vibrant color of her hair into adulthood. 'My mother used to say, ‘You don’t like it now, but you’ll be sorry when it’s gone,’' she observes. But it’s still there. Her three new parts, which she considers 'dream roles,' are the Governess in The Turn of the Screw in Zurich; Blanche in Dialogue of the Carmelites, in Washington, and now Anne Trulove. Critics praise her big voice and clean sound. Claire, now 33, divides her free time between British Columbia — where she grew up and her family lives — and Berlin, where her boyfriend, American baritone John Chest, is based. 'I call him my zen master,' she says of the latter. 'He keeps me calm.' The soprano, who is tall and slender, is very careful with her health and her voice, including watching what she eats when she goes out to dinner and doing yoga daily at Yoga Pure in New York." [Source] Read the full story here. (Photo: Steve Eichner)

Rubin Singer Reaches Opera Pinacle With Anna Netrebko Couture

Russian Forces: Rubin Singer (r), whose grandfather dressed 
Joseph Stalin, stands in the Saks Fifth Avenue showroom with 
Anna Netrebko to discuss a gown he will custom make for 
the soprano. (Photo: Instagram)

Rubin Singer is known in the popular music world for design clients such as Beyoncé, Shakira, Fergie, and Alicia Keys. He was introduced into the realm of opera by creating gowns for soprano Ailyn Pérez. She has worn his works for such high-profile events such as The Richard Tucker Gala and her most recent debut in Carmen at The Metropolitan Opera. Now he has reached the everest by designing a couture gown for Anna Netrebko. The two met on Friday, February 20, 2015, at the Saks Fifth Avenue in New York to discuss he creation for the world-famous singer. "Coming from a family of couturiers, Rubin Singer was exposed from a young age to refined technique and elegant design. Rubin is a third-generation couturier, his father Alik created costumes for the Bolshoi Ballet and Stanislavski Theater. His grandfather, for whom he is named, was one of the most celebrated designers in the Soviet Union, dressing Russian royalty, Soviet political figures, and the social

Singer Extravaganza: (left to right) Rubin Singer, Ailyn Pérez, Isabel Leonard, and Susan Graham,
at The Richard Tucker Gala at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

elite. His family heritage in fashion shaped who he is today, not only in having the genetic makeup of precise touch and creativity, but there is a certain sensibility and level of refinement necessary in order to make beautiful clothing that he was in tune with from a young age. Steeped in this heritage, Rubin saw a stark yet beautiful contrast between traditional craftsmanship and

Ailyn Pérez wearing one of Rubin Singer's gowns in concert

contemporary aesthetics. Rubin’s career reached new heights after moving to New York, as he became an Associate Designer at Oscar de la Renta. It was during his tenure at Oscar that brand identity became real and powerful to him, and he began to understand the integrity and unique character required to be the head of an iconic fashion brand. He would move on from Oscar to become Head Designer of three Bill Blass licensees, and later the Head Designer of Kai Milla, a company started by and named for Stevie Wonder’s wife Kai. All the while, the creative direction for his personal collection was blossoming. The

Anna Netrebko Shimmers In Beaver Creek Recital For Colorado

For more information, and an additional photo, click here. (Photo: Zach Mahone)

Pretty Yende Does Splashy Fashion Essay In Essence Magazine

"She's come a long way from the small South African town of Piet Retief, where—after first singing in church and at family sing-alongs—she discovered opera as a teenager in a British Airways commercial featuring 'The Flower Duet' from Léo Delibes's Lakmé. 'I heard the music, and somehow my soul knew what it was, but my mind didn't know,' says Yende, sipping her caffe latte at Manhattan's Empire Hotel. 'The following day I asked my high school teacher what it was, and he told me it's called opera. I said, 'Is it humanly possible?' and he said, 'Of course.' I said, 'Well, you need to teach me that.'' Soon her career goal had switched from accountant to opera star—something she couldn't have imagined before the fall of apartheid in South Africa. 'Black people were not allowed to study opera in schools before,' says Yende, who now embraces being a trailblazer in opera circles. 'I had to learn to accept that it will be something I will carry with me all the time, because I can't change the color of

my skin. Seeing that minority inspired me more, because I love a challenge. I hardly enjoy comfort zones because I must find out what's the best in me.' Yende—whose offstage style is much more comfortable than the corsets she sometimes wears in costume—will have to keep on hitting those high notes. 'I'm booked until 2020,' she says, 'so no babies until then!'" [Source] See more of the glamorous photos by Hao Zeng by clicking here.

What's In A Name: Rosamund Pike Photographed By Mario Testino

A Rose by Any Other Name: Rosamund Pike in Vanity Fair

"The name Rosamund (also spelled Rosamond and Rosamunde) is a girls' name and can also be a family name (surname). Originally it combined the Germanic elements hros, meaning horse, and mund, meaning 'protection.' Later, it was influenced by the Latin phrases rosa munda, meaning 'pure rose,' and rosa mundi, meaning 'rose of the world.' 'Rosamonda' is the Italian, 'Rosamunde' is the German and 'Rosemonde' the French form of the name. People named Rosamund or variations thereof include: Rosamund (Gepid) or Rosamunde (fl. sixth century), second wife of Alboin, King of the Germanic Lombards; Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – c. 1176), medieval beauty and longtime mistress of King Henry II; Rosamund Greenwood (1907–1997), British actress; Rosamund John (1913–1998), English actress; Rosamund Kwan (born 1962), Chinese actress; Rosamund Pike (born 1979), British actress; Rosamunde Pilcher (born 1924), British novelist; Rosamund Stanhope (1919–2005), British poet and teacher; Rosamund Marriott Watson (1860–1911), English poet and critic who wrote under the pseudonym of Graham R. Tomson. Franz Schubert also wrote incidental music

scored for orchestra under the Rosamunde heading. "There are two overtures associated with Rosamunde: The overture used for the stage production was the overture Schubert had originally composed for Alfonso und Estrella, but Schubert thought it less suitable for that opera and in the 1891 publication of the Gesammtausgabe, the ten numbers of the Rosamunde music were preceded by the overture to Die Zauberharfe (The Magic Harp), without any proof it was ever Schubert's intention to associate that overture with the rest of the Rosamunde music" The first vocal version, "Der Vollmond Strahlt auf Bergeshöh'n" was published in 1824 as Op. 26, with piano accompaniment. The one vocal version for mixed chorus and orchestra, dated 1863, is written "Andante con moto." Other forms of the incidental music include an entr'acte, ballet, and choruses. Additional uses of the music include an excerpt of the piece incorporated into the Christmas carol "Mille cherubini in coro," a song made popular by Luciano Pavarotti in a 1980 TV Christmas program. The piece is also played in Marvel's film The Avengers in the German opera house scene. [Source, Source] Watch a Vanity Fair video of Rosamund Pike being photographed by Mario Testino, and listen to Elly Ameling singing the vocal version of Schubert's music, after the jump.

Reclining Rosamund: A scene that could easily be taken straight out of a Schubertiade.

Sonya Yoncheva Makes Vogue Magazine Spread For Debut

A Star is Born: Soprano Sonya Yoncheva Arrives

"As Yoncheva made her debut in major operas in Europe, word of her singular range and tone made its way to Gelb. 'We have a very sophisticated scouting system,' he later explained by phone. 'Sometimes I hear reports about young singers that make it clear we should bring them in. European opera houses are typically smaller than the Met. Singers who can make an impression in a smaller European house sometimes do not have the same success on stage at the Met. The singer has to be even more intensely charismatic on stage.' Following her turn as Gilda, Gelb said, Yoncheva has been on a 'meteoric rise to operatic stardom.' Tonight, Yoncheva will begin the first of four performances in La Traviata, one day after releasing her first album, the result of an exclusive, long-term deal with Sony Classical. She is now booked five years out, including in the opening of the Met’s next season, when she will sing the part of Desdemona in a new production of Verdi’s Otello that is slated for a live-broadcast in movie theaters around the world." [Source] Read the full article "Meet Sonya Yoncheva: Opera's Brightest New Star" by clicking here and see more photos by Vogue's Ruven Afanador after the jump. Sonya Yoncheva will be appearing at the Metropolitan Gift Shop on January 22 to sign copies of her new CD, see details here. Sample tracks off the soprano's new album are also after the jump. 

For Anna Netrebko Baby Questions Are Harder Than Politics Right Now

Modeling in a fashion show for friend and designer Irina Vitjaz, Anna Netrebko is joined by son Tiago and fiancé Yusif Eyvazov in Vienna. After a stroll down the catwalk, the couple is interviewed for German television. During the segment the host makes mention of fellow opera singer, Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Zoryana Kushpler, and the pending birth of her child. Without skipping a beat, she then asks the recently-engaged couple if offspring is a topic with Anna. See the video here. 

Holiday Spirit Hits The Runway: Anna Netrebko with son Tiago and fiancé Yusif Eyvazov in Vienna 
(Photo: Irina Vitjaz)

Oscar De La Renta, Friend Of Opera And Sopranos, Is Dead At 82

 

Night at the Opera: de la Renta attending 
Anna Bolena at the MET in 2011.

"Óscar Arístides de la Renta Fiallo (July 22, 1932 – October 20, 2014) was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, De la Renta was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo, he became internationally known in the 1960s as one of the couturiers to dress Jacqueline Kennedy. An award-winning designer, he worked for Lanvin and Balmain; his eponymous fashion house continues to dress leading figures, from film stars to royalty, into the 2010s. De la Renta is particularly known for his red carpet gowns and evening wear." [Source] The designer was always a fixture at the Metropolitan Opera as an audience member and supporter. Today's most established sopranos in the opera world are often photographed wearing the designer's creations. "'I’m a woman, and I love it so I enjoy dressing up,' says Netrebko, who attends fashion week in New York and Paris, when possible, and was excited about a recent encounter with designer Oscar de la Renta. 'I was very honored to meet him — I’m always shopping at his stores. To me, his clothing is art, which I can’t stop collecting.'" [Source] Other famous sopranos to wear his gowns include Renée Fleming, Ailyn Pérez, and Angela Gheorghiu. Some of these fashionable gowns, as well as some that just seem operatically inspired, can be seen after the jump.

Vogue Covers Opera Fashions On MET's Opening Night "Figaro"

Pre-Nozze: Anna Netrebko and soon-to-be-husband Yusif Eyvazov at opening night festivities.

Vogue photographer Hannah Thomson was at the Metropolitan Opera's Opening Night Gala. The evening featured a performance of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. Evening attendants included Maggie Grace, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, Grace Coddington, Josh Lucas, Christine Baranski, and more. See the full gallery of the glamorous night by clicking here. 

Fall Fashions: Mercedes Bass and soprano Renée Fleming

Lyric Opera Of Chicago Gets The High Fashion Treatment

"Opulence and glamour aren't just for the stage. These gorgeous photos were taken at the Civic Opera House and hark back to styles of the 1950's-1970's (which just so happen to be Lyric's first three decades). High fashion and opera: a perfect pairing." Chicago magazine created a portfolio of stunning images that highlight the fashion of Gucci, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Givenchy, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Dior, and more, in the art deco setting of the opera house. The feature, put together by Heiji Choy Black, highlights the artistry of photographer Yossi Michaeli. A few more images after the jump. You can see the full article by clicking here. [Source]

Operatic Pairing Of Beyoncé And Givenchy Director Riccardo Tisci

Stars and Stripes Forever: Beyoncé shows her patriotism
 in Paris, France, during the last concert on her "On the Run"
 tour with husband, and fellow musician, Jay-Z.

Not since Jessye Norman was draped in the French flag for the country's bicentennial celebration has fashion been so operatically inspired as when pop superstar Beyoncé closed her On the Run tour with husband Jay-Z by singing "Forever Young" wearing a bustle replica of the American flag designed by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy in only black and white. The drama created by this flowing garment is simultaneously rebellious, patriotic, militant, and haute couture. This isn't Mr. Tisci's first operatic gesture with fashion, he previously collaborated with artist Marina Abramovic at the Opéra de Paris at the Palais Garnier in 2013: "For his first collaboration with the Paris Palais Garnier de l'Opéra National, Givenchy's creative director Riccardo Tisci has signed the costumes for Maurice Ravel's Le Boléro ballet. In a hostel in Spain, a gypsy traveler dances on a table surrounded by people. Her speed and rhythm gradually entrances the onlookers and carries them away in an intoxication of instinctive dance. Maurice Ravel's Le Boléro, written in 1928, comes to the Paris Opéra Garnier from May 2 until June 3 and Riccardo Tisci, creative director at French label Givenchy, has created dance costumes for the entire company. It is the first time the celebrated designer has worked with the Palais Garnier on a personal project of this scale and the resulting costumes combine obscurity and romanticism in equal measure. The white, billowing dresses and capes are spectacular when in flight on stage, while the fine, detailed embroidery on the transparent leotards reveals the human skeleton that moves gracefully underneath, breathing life into this theatrical interpretation. Choreographers Sidi Larbi

Andre Balaz, Riccardo Tisci, and Marina Abramovic at The
Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit
Celebrating "Punk: Chaos to Couture" in 2013.

Cherkaoui and Damien Jalet have entrusted Marina Abramovic with the show's production. The Art Corporel choreographer aims to give the human spirit a new sense of freedom, redefining limits through this unique interpretation of Maurice Ravel's masterpiece...." [Source] During the time the duo was working together, Dazed Digital interviewed Marina Abramovic and Riccardo Tisci. Once question in particular stands out:


Can you remember your first experience of opera?
Marina Abramovic: My mother was very strict. The only thing I read was the literature she gave to me; I certainly wasn’t aware of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. My education was Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky and opera. I think the first opera I saw was La Traviata, in Belgrade.
Riccardo Tisci: My first opera was also La Traviata! I came from a poor family so we never had the money to go to (Milan opera house) La Scala. I remember having goosebumps; I remember wanting to cry. I remember thinking it would be my dream to design costumes for La Scala or l’Opéra (in Paris). [Source]

Perhaps one of the finer opera houses in the world will snap up Riccardo Tisci to create costumes for a new production. In the meantime, there might just be a diva somewhere wearing one of his couture designs. Stay tuned. Watch the full video of Beyoncé performing "Forever Young" in the gorgeous creation by Riccardo Tisci, as well as some beautiful still photos, after the jump.

Christian Lacroix Talks 80s Influence For "Mahagonny" In Berlin

"Stars wie Jennifer Aniston, Dita von Teese, Naomi Watts und Julianne Moore lieben die Kreationen von Christian Lacroix (63). Jetzt hat der französische Stardesigner die Kostüme für die Premiere von Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny am Freitag um 19.30 Uhr in der Staatsoper entworfen. B.Z.-Redakteurin Claudia von Duehren traf den Designer in der Kostümabteilung des Schiller-Theaters."

Welche Message haben Ihre Entwürfe? Sehen wir Goldgräber der 30er Jahre? 
Wir orientieren uns an der Gegenwart. Die Männer tragen Streetwear. Entscheidender Teil ihrer Kostüme ist das Licht. Die Mädchen erinnern an Rock-Girls der 80er. Ihre Outfits sind crazy Couture, mit großen Frisuren und High Heels. Wir haben Vintage-Klamotten der 80er gekauft und umgeschneidert. Außerdem waren wir in Brautmodengeschäften. [Source] 

Read the full interview here and learn more about the costumes here. Visit the Staatsoper Berlin website for ticket information. Watch a promotional trailer for the production, after the jump.

Will Renée Fleming's Super Bowl Exposure Catapult Her To Next Level?

On February 2, 2014, Renée Fleming sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for Super Bowl XLVIII to a stadium with a capacity of 82,566 people in addition to a home-viewing audience of 111.5 million (the largest in the history of American television). The response to an opera singer performing America's National Anthem for the first time in the sports event's history came swiftly from the Twitter crowd, Facebook followers and YouTube commentators. The general public, more accustomed to the likes of Christina Aguilera, Dixie Chicks, and Beyoncé Knowles warbling out the famous tune, was surprisingly supportive with positive feedback. What does all of this media exposure mean to Renée Fleming and her illustrious career? At the time of this writing, the video of the event on YouTube has been viewed over 800,000 times. Taking a look at the artist's Facebook page days before the Super Bowl appearance, she had just over 77,000 "likes" and now the page stands at 94,362. No official data has been released on whether record and MP3 sales have skyrocketed, but a quick glimpse at Amazon.com shows that the Decca-exclusive artist has three albums in the top-20 best seller list for opera & vocal (Guilty Pleasures, The Art of Renée Fleming, and her self-titled album from 2000). Next week's results may yield a more revealing story. Be sure to keep an eye on the Billboard charts. The opera star has already sung for the Queen of England, the President of the United States, and has even read the "Top 10 List" on Late Show with David Letterman. Two nights after the Super Bowl, the soprano was back at the Metropolitan Opera performing the title role in Dvořák's Rusalka to a crowd of 4,000. How large that number must seem to a young singer at the beginning of their career and how small it must feel after performing at the Super Bowl. Are there going to be stadium concerts in the future that will sell out the likes of "The Three Tenors" during it's most popular days? Unlikely. The real question: What is the next level? Write a book? Done. Appear in a movie? Done. Win a Grammy Award? Done (4 times). Act in a stage play? That's coming too. Perhaps she really isn't looking for more. After all the accomplishments, she might list happy wife and proud mother as her most cherished. And for the fashionistas that are wondering, she wore "...a custom Vera Wang black long sleeve gown with pleated accent at the waist, and an ivory silk faille floor length wrap coat with exposed shoulder and hand draped detail." [Source, Source]

Elle France Follows Anna Netrebko For A Day In New York City

Anna Netrebko, with Plácido Domingo, photographed by Benno Kraehhan in Berlin during December 2013

"De Vienne à Los Angeles, la soprano russe, affole tous les opéras du monde. A New York, où elle vit la moitié de l’année, la star des cantatrices raconte sa journée de bonne vivante." Read the daily schedule by clicking here.

Vogue Features Erin Morley Stepping Into MET Strauss Role

The Girl Gets the Rose: Soprano Morley
will sing the role of Sophie at the MET in
Der Rosenkavalier (Photo: Dario Acosta)

"Tonight, Der Rosenkavalier returns to the stage at the Metropolitan Opera. Written by Richard Strauss (with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal), the opera was a smashing success the night it debuted in Dresden in 1911—and continues to be so to this day. It tells the complicated story of the romantic entanglement of four characters: a loutish baron; his fiancée, a bourgeois innocent named Sophie von Faninal; the handsome Count Octavian Rofrano; and the Marschallin, a married, older woman with whom Octavian is having an affair. The soprano Mojca Erdmann was originally cast to play Sophie, but will be unable to go onstage tonight due to fighting a recent bout with pneumonia. But opera fans needn’t be sad—her understudy, the talented and beautiful Erin Morley, 33, has stepped in to sing the part. Morley is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, and received her master’s from Juilliard; she was also a Lindemann Young Artist. She took a moment recently to talk about her big Met debut, which will surely be the beginning of a glittering operatic career." Read the interview by clicking here. [Source]

Elisa Balbo Entertains Valentino Flagship Store Opening In Shanghai

L'Italiana in China: Balbo Serenades 

On Thursday, November 14th, a party celebrating the opening of Valentino’s first flagship in Shanghai, designed by architect David Chipperfield, and a runway spectacle debut of the brand’s new Shanghai ready-to-wear and Haute Couture collection, which will be available in stores next April took place at the bedazzling Shanghai International Cruise Terminal, whose 40,000 square meters of space include a riverside park and suspended enclosures dubbed the “Shanghai Chandelier." Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chirui and Pierpaolo Piccioli were joined by a mix of models and actresses like Du Juan, Hanne Gabe Odiele, and Jun Hasegawa. Guests enjoyed views of the city’s futuristic skyline, lounged on votive-lit louche red sofas and were serenaded by opera soprano Elisa Balbo before the Djs Sean and Anthony Souza took over. This marked the opening of Valentino’s second largest flagship in the world (the first is in Milan) and the first time the brand has developed a city-specific collection. [Source] Watch a video of the soprano, singing "Tacea la notte placida" from Verdi's Il Trovatore, after the jump. The soprano performed last April for S.Pellegrino's tribute to Luciano Pavarotti in New York and most recently at the Arena di Verona for "Opera on Ice." You can also find her on Facebook.