Playing At Casa Verdi
In 2018 Mia travelled to Italy and performed at Casa di Risposo per Musicisti, a sanctuary for noteworthy musicians built by Giuseppe Verdi to help those who did not have the luxury of saving for their retirement.
Casa Di Riposo per Musicisti - translated in english as ‘Rest Home for Musicians’ is a retirement home in Milan for elderly and retired professional musicians. At the end of his life, Verdi aimed to create a place "to shelter elderly singers who have not been favoured by fortune, or who when they were young did not have the virtue of saving their money". Described as his greatest life achievement, he didn’t miss a single aspect of his aim.
As a musician, upon entering the retirement home, the energy was palpable. You knew you were in a special place. From all directions, you could hear music of some sort. Whether it was from the performance hall where one of the residents was playing the piano, or presenting their operatic chops - which was quite common since Milan is the home of opera with the monumental La Scala. Upstairs you could hear another resident playing and another reveling in the extensive record collection, which can be heard through their state-of-the-art gramophones. It is simply a musician’s dream. Even the details of its architecture and design show the musicality of the place. With lyre-shaped door handles and keyboard patterned archways, every inch of the place was made for musicians.
As a musician, upon entering the retirement home, the energy was palpable. You knew you were in a special place. From all directions, you could hear music of some sort. Whether it was from the performance hall where one of the residents was playing the piano, or presenting their operatic chops - which was quite common since Milan is the home of opera with the monumental La Scala. Upstairs you could hear another resident playing and another reveling in the extensive record collection, which can be heard through their state-of-the-art gramophones. It is simply a musician’s dream. Even the details of its architecture and design show the musicality of the place. With lyre-shaped door handles and keyboard patterned archways, every inch of the place was made for musicians.
During my visit there, I was lucky enough to not only play for these musicians, but also to hear them present their many talents. There, I clearly remember a small 95-year-old woman, she had a stroller and supported herself with a stick, however she had the most incredible voice, her power and range- regardless of her age amazed. For every resident there, music was a part of them, it was a part of their very essence. Music was their purpose, their life. It was, and will always be an integral part of their life, the driving force behind all aspects of life.
As a young musician, The Verdi retirement home was unforgettable. It truly showed me just what I could be, not a retiree in a state-of-the-art home, but how my love for music its abilities to manifest into all parts of my life. How the fiery passion, the motivation that we young musicians possess and how it has the potential to carry us through to the very ends of our lives. We often see prodigious maestro’s and we always hear how we can become better, but sometimes you can equally benefit from learning about another person. The residents of the Verdi Retirement showed how their lives, full of joy, of wisdom, experience, and most importantly music have been shaped by their loves their passions.
As a young musician, The Verdi retirement home was unforgettable. It truly showed me just what I could be, not a retiree in a state-of-the-art home, but how my love for music its abilities to manifest into all parts of my life. How the fiery passion, the motivation that we young musicians possess and how it has the potential to carry us through to the very ends of our lives. We often see prodigious maestro’s and we always hear how we can become better, but sometimes you can equally benefit from learning about another person. The residents of the Verdi Retirement showed how their lives, full of joy, of wisdom, experience, and most importantly music have been shaped by their loves their passions.
Hear Mia perform Verdi The Force of Destiny Overture on Sunday 24 March with SYO Philharmonic at Verbrugghen Hall Book Tickets
