The MAECI – the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – has granted 2,000 euros to the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies and the Italian Program at Montclair State University, USA, for the further expansion of its sur-titling project (2015 and 2016) to be conducted by students and faculty on MSU campus in collaboration with the Italian sur-titling agency Prescott Studio.

After two years of synergetic work with Prescott, including the creation of sur-titles for the Piccolo Teatro (Milan), the Opera di Roma, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Terme di Caracalla (Rome), and a summer internship in Florence, students of Italian at MSU will have further opportunities to learn about the art of sur-titling for live theater and to strengthen their translation skills thanks to this translation incentives program.

The grant is being used to finance specific productions included in the 2016-2017 calendar of the Opera di Firenze and the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, which will be presented to an international audience with both English and Italian sur-titles. The calendar includes the following operas:

Opera di Firenze
Semiramide
by Gioachino Rossini, debuting on Sept. 27, 2016
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra (Rosamund of England)
by Gaetano Donizetti, debuting on Oct. 9, 2016

Opera di Roma
Maria Stuarda (Mary Stuart)
by Gaetano Donizetti, debuting on March 22, 2017
Andrea Chénier
by Umberto Giordano, debuting on April 21, 2017

«This is a meaningful recognition for two reasons» – said Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair), one of the two co-PI’s. «On the one hand, it marks a first time in the funding of surtitles within the translation grant program run by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. They had previously funded subtitles for cinema but not surtitles. This is an expression of trust for the important work of internationalization of Italian culture provided by surtitles. On the other hand, the mini-grant is also a recognition of the two-year-long project carried out in the field of audiovisual translation by the Italian Program with the support of the Inserra Chair».

Co-PI Dr. Marisa Trubiano concluded: «We are thrilled that the Italian government has recognized the work being done at Montclair State University in the field of Italian and audiovisual translation. This is a growing and dynamic field for our majors, and they are getting the unique pre-professional experiences needed to excel in it».

The Translating Voices Across Continents (Milano Expo 2015) project was also included in a recent video presented by Prescott Studio in Florence. It features interviews with Dr. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair) and Dr. Marisa Trubiano (Associate Prof. of Italian) among those of major artists and experts in the field ranging from orchestra conductor Zubin Mehta and Prescott Studio director Mauro Conti.

Link interni
> A Complex Art of Simplicity – Video
> The Art of Compromise
> Inserra Chair