Celebrating the Great Neapolitan Tenor Enrico Caruso in New York

Simona Frasca, Malina Mannarino, Prof. Giuliana Muscio, and Claudio Pagliara

On June 6, Director Claudio Pagliara welcomed the public to the inauguration of a new exhibition dedicated to the legendary Neapolitan tenor Enrico Caruso and his remarkable journey from Naples to New York and ultimately to the world stage. The evening featured a screening of the documentary Enrico Caruso, the Greatest Singer in the World—curated by Prof. Giuliana Muscio of the University of Padua for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs—followed by the opening of Enrico Caruso: From Naples to New York, an exhibition first presented at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli in 2022.

The exhibition brings together rare photographs and historic recordings from the collections of the Istituto Centrale per i Beni Sonori e Audiovisivi. Curated by Prof. Muscio in collaboration with noted author and music historian Prof. Simona Frasca of the University of Naples, it traces Caruso’s rise from humble beginnings in Naples to international acclaim.

Prof. Muscio emphasized Caruso’s pivotal role in bringing opera to audiences throughout the Americas and described him as perhaps the first truly global celebrity. Long before the modern age of mass media, Caruso skillfully embraced emerging technologies such as film and the popular press to cultivate his public image. Muscio also noted that many remain unaware that Caruso appeared in a feature-length silent film and that the celebrated Neapolitan song Core ’Ngrato was composed in the United States by Cordiferro specifically for the tenor, reportedly inspired by the end of one of his romantic relationships.

Prof. Frasca highlighted another dimension of Caruso’s legacy: his pioneering use of recording technology. In addition to performing before audiences across Europe and the Americas, Caruso recorded both operatic arias and popular songs in multiple languages, allowing his voice to reach millions far beyond the concert hall.

Cav. Charles Sant'Elia with Simona Frasca and Prof. Stanislao Pugliese

Among the exhibition’s most notable artifacts are Caruso’s iconic slippers from Pagliacci, one of the sculptures he created for himself and friends, and several of the caricatures for which he was also widely admired.

The exhibition is the fourth of five musical initiatives promoted by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of New York, in partnership with the United in Sound: America at 250 festival at Carnegie Hall. It will remain open to the public through August 31.

In addition to celebrating Caruso, Prof. Frasca discussed her new book, Mixed by Erri (Naples: Ad Est dell’Equatore, 2025), which examines the mixtape culture of 1980s Naples through the story of the Frattasio brothers. Far from being mere pirate music vendors, Frasca argues, the brothers were innovative DJs and cultural mediators who creatively blended Neapolitan and American musical influences for a devoted audience.

~ Cav. Charles Sant’Elia