Oct 8 – Verdi’s “Fantasie” consecrated the renewal of the partnership between ENI and MIT – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Last night the MIT Kresge Auditorium saw the chamber musicians from Milan’s La Scala performe “Fantasies from Verdi’s works,” and it was a great success. “Since 2008 we are the largest partner in MIT’s energy research projects. Our goal is to develop innovative solutions to meet energy needs and global challenges by bringing together ENI’s technological know-how and research with MIT’s excellence in science and technology,” explains with satisfaction the President of ENI, Giuseppe Recchi. “Our support for cultural initiatives – said the group in a statement – has always been a distinguishing feature and, in 2006, we chose the motto ‘culture of energy, energy of culture’ to describe our commitment for the promotion of arts and cultural events in countries in which we operate.” ENI is a partner of the chamber musicians international tour from La Scala, who have already given concerts in Moscow, Istanbul and Oxford. The “Fantasie” is a medley of pieces composed by the musician’s friends and colleagues. These songs are celebrations of Verdi’s greatness, but were forgotten in libraries all over the world in the 19th century. The La Scala’s chamber musicians found them, and arranged them, bringing them to the United States for the first time. In fact, last night’s concert at MIT marked the beginning of a larger tour in the U.S., which will include performances in Providence (Brown University), Washington (Italian Embassy), New York (Carnegie Hall) and Miami. The series of American concerts is part of the Year of Italian Culture in the United States, an initiative that has the patronage of the Presidency of the Italian Republic and is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in Washington, with the support of ENI as Corporate Ambassador. As part of the Year of Italian culture in the United States, Eni also promoted the exhibition of the Hellenistic masterpiece, the “Pugilatore in riposo,” at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
