World Pasta Day Celebration Brings Italian Cuisine and Opera to Campus

The aroma of fresh pasta and the sound of opera filled Freeman Dining Hall on Tuesday, October 27, as Montclair State University celebrated World Pasta Day with an event combining Italian culinary traditions and live musical performances.

In collaboration with EATS at Montclair State University and the Coccia Institute, the celebration featured a variety of food-focused activities, including an olive oil tasting station, beef lasagna served at the Life Station, and a hands-on pasta-making class with Nonna, led by Franca Grispino and Maria Teresa Grispino Nappi. Participants had the opportunity to explore the art of making fresh pasta while celebrating the traditions of Italian cuisine.

The event also offered a musical complement to the festivities, with singers from the John J. Cali School of Music performing selections from beloved operas. The performances were especially fitting, as October 25 also marked World Opera Day, creating a timely connection between the day's culinary and musical celebrations.

Performers included Keunwon Park, a first-year Artist Diploma student and baritone; Peiyuan Xie, a second-year Artist Diploma student and tenor; and Grace Pfleger, a second-year Artist Diploma student and mezzo-soprano. Karen Driscoll, assistant teaching professor and head of artistic operations for opera at the John J. Cali School of Music, also performed.

The program featured "È sogno? o realtà?" from Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff, a production coming to Montclair State on January 30 and 31, and "Largo al factotum" from Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Pfleger sang "Smanie implacabili che m'agitate" from Così fan tutte, "Nel profondo" from Orlando furioso and will be playing the title role in Maurice Ravel's from Maurice Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, which will be presented by the John J. Cali School of Music on December 6.

Driscoll closed the musical portion with two selections by Giacomo Puccini: "Donde lieta usci" from La Bohème and "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi. The latter held special personal significance for Driscoll, who dedicated the performance to the memory of her father, for whom the piece was a favorite.

By bringing together fresh food, hands-on culinary experiences and live opera, the World Pasta Day celebration offered the campus community a taste of Italian culture while highlighting the artistic talent of the John J. Cali School of Music.