UBI FLORET INGENIUM

UBI FLORET INGENIUM

THE FOUNDATION

OUR ETHOS

Based at the Palazzo Corsini al Prato in Florence, the Fondazione Mascarade Opera (FMO) is a non-profit foundation which provides exceptional training and professional opportunities for emerging opera artists.

The FMO’s flagship programme, Mascarade Opera, is designed specifically for the career development of outstanding young singers and répétiteurs. The FMO aims to support the very greatest international talent from diverse backgrounds, which is why places on the programme are entirely funded for up to twelve Mascarade Artists per year. The FMO not only covers full tuition and accommodation costs but also provides young artists with an annual stipend equivalent to entry-level salaried positions in the industry. 

As well as receiving intensive year-round training in a range of disciplines required of elite performers, Mascarade Artists can expect to benefit from an annual showcase production, prestigious orchestral galas and a number of roles at partnering opera houses to help launch their professional careers from the very city where the art form was born.

The FMO additionally presents an annual concert series and large-scale co-productions which form part of the foundation’s broader mission to champion great musical traditions and sustain their future.

HISTORY

Our story begins with The New Generation Festival (NGF), founded in 2017 by Frankie Parham, Roger Granville and Maximilian Fane with the aim of promoting emerging young artists from around the world.

The NGF presented the finest talents in opera and across the arts in spectacular locations, ranging from the Swiss mountains of Andermatt to its flagship summer festival in Florence. Inspired by the achievements of the Italian Renaissance, the NGF celebrated creativity and stimulated it through the connection of art forms, cultures and generations.

In August 2020, the first summer of the Covid-19 pandemic, the NGF staged The ReGeneration Festival in partnership with The Uffizi Galleries at the landmark Boboli Gardens to demonstrate the importance of sustaining the performing arts in times of crisis.

Following the success of The ReGeneration Festival, the NGF founders decided to establish a year-round opera programme and to consolidate their goal of creating exceptional training and professional opportunities for outstanding young artists under the aegis of their foundation in Florence - the Fondazione Mascarade Opera.

The three founders are recipients of the city’s ‘Silver Florin’ decoration and have been appointed Honorary Ambassadors of Florence.