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| The Puccini Award |
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Born in 1971, the prize had from the beginning one peculiar destination: the female voice which inspired Giacomo Puccini. The Puccini Prize, a statuette reproducing the image of Puccini, is handed over traditionally every year on November 29th, among the initiatives of the Puccinian Month, remembering the anniversary of Maestro's death.
Puccini's image is immediately recognizable - wide-brimmed hat, coat collar turned up, hands thrust deep inside the pockets- as portrayed by Paul Trubetzkoy in the statue that since 1949 has been placed on the large square of Torre del Lago.
The firts edition was rightfully awarded to Rosetta Pampanini, protagonist of the two first Puccinian seasons in 1930 and 1931. Since then the Puccini Award has carried to Torre del Lago, in the historical Chalet Emilio, now Chalet del Lago, many illustrious personalities in international opera. Since 1983 the prize has been awarded to other expression connected with the Festival activity: recording, publishing, cinematography and to promising young people of the lyrical theatre.
In 1995 still a change takes place in the appearance of the prize, that is assigned for the first time to a Conductor, Lorin Maazel. In 1996 the Award goes to the City of Turin for the celebrations of the hundredth anniversary of " Bohème " and in 1997 to Maria Chiara and José Carreras, who, on initiative of the artistic director of the festival, receive the prize on 15th August at the Open Air Theatre, during the closing concert of the Puccini Festival . |
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