The Juilliard School’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts will mark the 200th anniversary of the first full Italian opera performed in the United States —Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia”— with a day of events in collaboration with Columbia University.

The celebration is set for Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, and will begin with a 10 a.m. symposium at Juilliard’s Morse Hall. The event is organized by Columbia Professor of Musicology Giuseppe Gerbino and will explore the early history of Italian opera in America.

Following a lunch break, guests will get a chance to engage on a guided tour of Juilliard’s library and archives, led by Vice President for Library and Information Resources Jane Gottlieb, showcasing rare materials that highlight the development of opera in the United States.

At 3 p.m., Juilliard’s Vocal Arts department will present a special recital in Paul Hall featuring works by Gioachino Rossini. The program will be performed by sopranos Luna Park and Adriana Stepien, mezzo-sopranos Tivoli Treloar and Lauren Randolph, tenor Adam Catangui, and baritone Son Jin Kim, with pianists Giancarlo Llerena and Luis Villarreal Lozano.

After the recital, audiences will have the opportunity to revisit the library and archives to further explore the exhibit.

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