A string quartet of ASO musicians performs the works of Italian-born Nino Rota (1911-1979). Born into a family of musicians, Rota was no stranger to music and was a child prodigy whose first oratorio was performed in Paris and his hometown, Milan, when he was only 12 years old. Through the remainder of his career, Rota would go on to compose upwards of 150 film scores for Italian and international productions. Among the most notable are The Godfather and Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet—the opening piece on this program.

Performed during a free, socially-distanced chamber music performance—one of the first few live classical concerts to take place in North America in over five months—on August 9, 2020 at Washington Lake Park Amphitheater in Sewell, New Jersey.

Cellist Alberto Parrini speaks about Rota’s string quartet and the many influences represented in this piece.

Much like it did for films, Rota’s music brought our musicians’ long-awaited return to the stage to life. Watch now to experience the magic of this live performance.

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