The Jussi Björling Society-USA (JBS-USA) will present “Björling and Bergonzi: A Comparative Study.”

The event will take place over Zoom on Oct. 22, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Stephen Hastings, author of “The Björling Sound,” will host the event and will be joined by Stefan Johansson, a long-time chief dramaturg of the Swedish Royal Opera, and JBS-USA Board Member Sue Flaster, who will moderate the discussion.

Per the official registration website, per Hastings, “Jussi Björling and Carlo Bergonzi belonged to different generations and their careers overlapped only in the 1950s, but they had six Verdi roles (plus the Requiem) and six Puccini roles in common, as well as such repertory staples as Nemorino, Turiddu and Canio, and they both won acclaim from critics for their musicality and technical skill. It thus seems appropriate, on the 100th anniversary of Bergonzi’s birth, to compare their artistic achievements in arias and songs in which they both excelled.”

In addition to his book on Björling, Hastings also authored “Maria Callas:  la formazione dell’Artista (1923-1947).”