DEARBORN – Artists from the Bellini Opera Theatre will present a lecture and concert commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Henry Ford Centennial Library Auditorium .
The one-hour presentation will include performances by Kim Swan, soprano, and Dino Valle, baritone, accompanied by pianist Jacqueline Csurgai-Schmitt.
Featured will be songs written by Stephen Collins Foster, Daniel Decatur Emmett, Julia Ward Howe, James Allen Bland, Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward.
The presentation is free of charge and sponsored by the Friends of the Library-Dearborn.
Bellini Opera was founded by opera enthusiast Roslino Lo Duca, a native of Cinisi in the province of Palermo, out of his deep love for the Sicilian customs and language and his passion for music of Vincenzo Bellini.
Valle, a co-founder, hopes to foster the enjoyment of operatic music for today’s audiences through a series of concerts, recitals, lectures and other outreach programs in Michigan and Florida.
In addition to the October concert, the Bellini Opera will present “From Bellini to Puccini, Discovering Italian Opera,” at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 and “The Spirit of Christmas” at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.
The Henry Ford Centennial Library is at 16301 Michigan Ave. For more information, call (313) 943-2330.