Bristol Who’s Who Recognizes Carmela Altamura
Carmela Altamura is the director, founder and executive producer of Inter’Cities Performing Arts, Inc. In 1987, Carmela and her husband opened this prestigious music and arts academy in hopes of furthering ethnic, social, professional and cultural relations. Carmela’s own talent and voice were discovered at the young age of 8, as she sang in front of a large crowd on the very ship she immigrated to America from Italy. Shortly thereafter, she began musical studies and went on to receive scholarships including fellowships from Casa Italiana at Seton Hall University and the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Carmela studied at the prestigious Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan and has performed in concert halls around the world. Inter’Cities Performing Arts is a product of the Altamuras’ passion for music and arts and gives students the opportunity to excel in their music careers, as it continues to keep the arts alive in their community.
The organization has fulfilled its original mission—and then some. In addition to the success of the school, the Altamuras have accomplished much through the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition, which springboards world-class artists to international careers. Some of these names are listed on her web page, www.altocanto.org. In her years administrating the competition, Carmela has seen to many changes including the abolishment of age limits, which resulted in discovering larger, Verdian and Wagnerian voices which mature at a later time in life (for example, Contralto voices, mezzo sopranos, Dramatic and spinto sopranos, basses drammatic Tenors, etc). Carmela exposes and continues to nurture the winners of competitions into top professionals in a program called: “Encounter with the Masters.” This program passes down to a new generation of artists the unwritten opera traditions handed down through the ages. When an artist leaves this program, he or she has enough experience to enter the professional stage. Several of these masters include conductors: Karel Marck Chichon, Anton Coppola; and legendary singers: Licia Albanese, Virginia Zeani-Rossi-Lemeni, Mignon Dunn, the late Jerome Hines and many, many more.
Her work has impacted the lives of many, and Carmela has received awards such as the Better World Builder, Award of Excellence in Music and Community (Gold Flame), Woman of the Year, and Woman of Achievement. In her spare time she enjoys teaching master classes, cooking, crocheting, and hosting weddings. Today she lives in Union City, New Jersey.
Bristol Who’s Who Member Carmela Altamura can be found on the Who’s Who Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
