New York – Twelve singers from the United States and Italy met last Sunday in Brooklyn at the “Festival of Songs USA,” organized by ICN radio host Silvana Romania. It was difficult for the jury to choose a winner, but in the end the soprano Ckristina Shafranski, who performed “O mio babbino caro,” from the Gianni Schicchi opera by Giacomo Puccini, received the prize. But Italy reached second place thanks to a young woman from Catania, Gealiavia Zarba, who sang “Canto anche se sono stonata.” The third place was awarded to Tina Siciliano, who performed Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you.” The evening also paid tribute to some of the most important personalities of the Italian American community: Dr. Roberto Pollina, architect Carmelo Mazzaferro, Ms. Carmela Corso Zambito of Travel Agency, Daniel Ramos of the Maimonides Medical Center, and Vivian Cardia, the first woman to have worked on the American Stock Exchange. Ckristina Shafranski won a return ticket to Palermo, where she will take part this summer in Cantamare 2015. (9Colonne)
