Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and the Conservatorio Giacomo Puccini in La Spezia have announced a new collaboration with the aim of expanding cultural and academic exchange between the United States and Italy.

The agreement is set for a period of five years with options for renewal and during this period, the two institutions will join forces to create collaborative projects and research and performance opportunities for their respective students.

“Opera performance has been an integral part of our university’s culture since at least 1967,” said Mitchell Hutchings, DMA, artistic director of FAU Opera Theatre and assistant professor in the Department of Music, who alongside Ilaria Serra, PhD, professor in the Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature at FAU, organized the collaboration. “This partnership with the Giacomo Puccini Conservatory is a testament to our ongoing commitment to vocal performance and opera, cultivating future generations of classical musicians, and preserving the Italian ‘bel canto’ tradition.”