Cristina Fontanelli Set for NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Today

Award-winning singer and PBS/WNET and NY affiliates Host for Andrea Bocelli "Live From Central Park" and "Il Volo Takes Flight" CRISTINA FONTANELLI brings her program of Italy's best-loved songs, arias, Neapolitan and Christmas classics during her 12th-Annual "Christmas In Italy®" show at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts today, December 19 at 3:00.

This year's show is under the auspices of Casa Italiana NYU http://www.casaitaliananyu.org/ (Stefano Albertini, director). Called a "vocal genius" by the New York Sun, Ms. Fontanelli's show is a love letter to her Italian heritage and a tribute to her grandparents. "I began this beloved annual Holiday tradition to preserve Italy's great classic and popular song heritage and to teach them and, more importantly, the values they represent to younger generations." says Ms. Fontanelli. [headline] "Cristina Fontanelli, Preserving Values Through Opera" The Epoch Times, January 2014. The NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place, across from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village in New York City. Tickets and information can be purchased through 1-888-611-8183 and online at www.nyuskirball.org.

More information on Ms. Fontanelli can be found at www.cristinafontanelli.com and on "Christmas in Italy®" at www.christmas-in-italy.com and www.facebook.com/pages/Cristina-Fontanellis-Christmas-in-Italy-TM/1455402571361751.

For this special one-day event, Ms. Fontanelli will be accompanied by world-class musicans on piano, mandolins, guitar and accordion. The Little Language Studio and St. Bernadette's School of Brooklyn (Alberta Gulotta, teacher) will sing the traditional Italian Christmas carol "Tu scendi dalle stelle" ("You came down from the stars"); Dance Electra students of Staten Island (Kathy Gambardella, teacher) will dance to the Transiberian Orchestra version of "Carole of the Bells", the Ms. Senior America "Seasoned Steppers" will perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra, and the Richmond Choral Society of Staten Island and the Arcadian Chorale of Monmouth County, NJ (Marina Alexander, Music Director) will perform the great choral pieces written by Giuseppe Verdi - "Va pensiero" (Nabucco) and the "Brindisi" (La Traviata), plus Christmas selections. PBS-TV host Denise Richardson will emcee, along with celebrity guests, and tenor soloist t/b/a.

Cristina Fontanelli is PBS/WNET host for Andrea Bocelli's concert "Live From Central Park", "Il Volo Takes Flight", Vienna Boys Choir and Qi Gong specials. She appeared on CBS Weekend in interview/performance/co-hosting roles; (Cristina Fontanelli describes the show on this CBS Interview YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xDMoWNe1c4&feature=email) and performing the the traditional Neapolitan song "O sole mio" https://youtu.be/D8YRBdHo0-Q and "Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partiro)"http://youtu.be/VNqNNqj2JxEfrom a previous "Christmas In Italy®". She has performed for the Clinton White House, the President George W. Bush Inaugural Ball in 2005, with The Boston Pops, the St. Louis Symphony, at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency, has completed 3 world tours with the Mantovani Orchestra and has sung title roles with the Palm Beach Opera, New Jersey, New York Grand and Cairo Opera companies. Ms. Fontanelli has performed for Jimmy Kimmel's "Feast of San Gennaro" in Hollywood; is the voice of "Nonna" on PBS Chef Lidia Bastianich's animated Christmas special; and is the "voice" of Domino's Pizza on the national radio commercial. In November 2014 Cristina returned from Italy after being chosen to sing by the Italian Government as a world-wide representative artist of Pugliese descent.http://www.molfettaviva.it/notizie/cristina-fontanelli-conquista-molfetta/

Brooklyn-born Cristina Fontanelli was awarded the OSIA Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts (previous recipients include Luciano Pavarotti), has been cited as one of the top alumni of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (along with Robert Redford, Anne Bancroft, Cecil B. Demille, Anne Hathaway et al) and has been named "Woman of the Year" by many Italian organizations throughout the country.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place across from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10012 and tickets for "Christmas In Italy®" are sold at 1-888-611-8183 and online at www.nyuskirball.org with tickets ranging from $47.00 to $72.50 (Group, senior and students discounts available). Ms. Fontanelli's website iswww.cristinafontanelli.com.