THEATER in the GARDEN by Nicoletta Mantovani

Funding Secured for Land Purchase of the U.S. Home of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation

Opera Naples, Theater in the Garden and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation are thrilled to announce the securing of a seven-figure gift aimed at purchasing land for the creation of an international arts center in Naples. The source of the funding remains anonymous.

As announced in November 2023, Nicoletta Pavarotti, President of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, accepted an invitation from Livio Ferrari, Opera Naples Founding Member, to establish a U.S. home for her organization on this new site. The project will honor the legacy of her late husband, the legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and provide a much needed multi purpose arts facility for the Naples area. The center will feature a 900 seat indoor theater, an outdoor amphitheater nestled in a landscaped garden and a museum dedicated to opera and the legacy of Luciano Pavarotti. The concept also includes a restaurant with an opera theme. This will be the first Luciano Pavarotti Foundation location outside of Modena, Italy.

“I am beyond grateful to our anonymous donor for providing significant funding to secure the land for this grand vision,” said Nicoletta Pavarotti. Opera Naples Executive Director Melanie Kalnins and Artistic and Music Director Ramón Tebar echoed Nicoletta Pavarotti’s enthusiasm. “Our partnership with Opera Naples has been incredibly rewarding, and we are excited about everything we have already achieved together,” said Melanie Kalnins. Ramón Tebar added, “This momentum will only continue as we work together to achieve something truly special in the new theater.”

In addition to these performance spaces, Theater in the Garden will also house the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Academy, aimed at advancing vocal performance and supporting young, particularly underprivileged, singers. The Academy will provide comprehensive training, including voice, acting and diction lessons, with opportunities to perform in public. The indoor and outdoor venues will serve as invaluable spaces for the Academy and local arts groups in Collier County.

A major highlight of the center will be the Opera Museum, which will house costumes worn by opera stars, along with posters, scores, photographs and other memorabilia chronicling the world’s great opera houses.

With an estimated cost of $25-30 million, Theater in the Garden will become a cultural hub for Southwest Florida, hosting diverse performing arts events and supporting local talent. It will provide an exceptional space for the community to experience and appreciate the arts in new ways.

The project promises to elevate the region’s cultural landscape while furthering the global reach of the late tenor’s legacy.

For those interested in supporting the development of this groundbreaking cultural center, contact (239) 404-6765 email info@theaterinthegarden.com