my city has been one of the most important opera and classical music centers in the world for more than a century. because i've always lived a few blocks away from teatro colon, and many times in buildings where singers and conductors were staying while in south america, most of my encounters with celebrities have been with opera and classical music stars. when i was 8 i met maria callas [thanks to my mother!!!]. at the same party i met pier paolo passolini. later on in my life, i met/had dinner/talked informally with lots of opera singers and some ballet stars too. some of the bigger names that i think you might recognize are:
birgit nilsson joan sutherland placido domingo rudolf nureyev ingrid bjoner eva marton gwyneth jones anna moffo leonie rysanek james levine georg solti samuel ramey ghena dimitrova elena suliotis jon vickers deborah voight and many, many, many more! these are not just people whose autographs i asked or that i congratulated after a performance but people i established a meaningful rapport with and with some of whom [nilsson, marton, suliotis] i still correspond. as to other stars: laurie anderson rick wakeman catherine deneuve bruce labruce richard carpenter, etc casual encounters: anne rice in an elevator; william hurt in the hamptons; and my favorite one of all: cnn's jeanne moos in central park!!!!! [if you don't know jeanne moos, you don't know what you're missing]. i also met and befriended the jmdl's only true celebrity: robert holliston. wallyK
