Lauren Musumeci is 16, and Joseph is 12. They sing Opera.
They perform for Donald Trump and his Casinos. You WILL be impressed.

Philadelphia Main Line Times
Main Line Ticket
By Ruth Rovner
September 7, 2004

When Donald Trump celebrated his 57th birthday on June 5, the event took place -- no surprise -- at his own Taj Mahal Resort and Casino in Atlantic City. And one of the highlights of this "Billionaire Birthday Bash," as it was called, was a performance of operatic arias by two singers, a soprano and a tenor.

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Lauren and Joseph Musumeci of Penn Valley captivated the audience, who gave them a standing ovation. As often happens when this sister and brother perform, the audience marveled not only at their voices but their youth. Lauren is 16, and Joseph is 12.

"People often say, 'Such big voices from such young people!'" reports Lauren.
These youngsters are seasoned performers. One Saturday evening each month, they are the featured singers for patrons dining in the Marc Anthony restaurant of the Taj Mahal. Often, they sing for 400 patrons. They've also sung at high roller parties in the Grand Ballroom, where audiences can number 2,000.

Whatever the venue, they are poised performers. During their monthly appearances at the Taj Mahal, they sing both solos and duets, using cordless microphones as they perform arias from La Traviata, La Boheme, and other classics.

Lauren's solos often include "Quando Men Vo" from Puccini's La Boheme and "Une Belle Dia" from his Madame Butterfly. And their duet "O Sole Mio" is invariably a show-stopper.

"We try to sing to everyone by walking around the room with our mikes," explains Lauren. "And after we sing, we go around the room. People often want to take photos or get our autographs."

That was true at the Donald Trump birthday bash. The guests included the members of the original cast of The Apprentice, Regis Philbin and his wife, Miss Universe 2004 and other celebrities. All were wowed. And the guest of honor was so pleased that he not only had his photo taken with the duo but also invited them to sing at all three of his casinos next year.

But the Taj Mahal casino is by no means their only venue. Their September schedule is already crammed with events. One highlight will surely be this Saturday, when Lauren and Joseph receive the Sergio Franchi Music Foundation Award in a concert and award ceremony in Stonington, Conn. They are two of the youngest singers ever to receive this prestigious award for outstanding tenors and sopranos. They'll sing for an audience of over 4,000 and will be accompanied by a 32-piece symphony orchestra.

The following weekend will be just as busy. Saturday night the 18th is their scheduled monthly appearance at the Taj Mahal. The next day, they'll be in New York to sing at the Feast of San Gennaro, the largest Italian-American festival in the country. They've also been invited to perform in Los Angeles on Sept. 23 for "Prima Notte," a celebrity gala charity event hosted by ABC TV's Jimmy Kimmel and others.

Another major event occurs on Nov. 6, when Lauren and Joseph will headline the Mario Lanza Ball at the Doubletree Hotel. The event draws Lanza fans and singers from far-flung places, and the Musumecis were personally invited by Mario Lanza's son, Damon.

It was Mario Lanza's singing that first sparked their own interest in opera. Three years ago, they watched a video of The Great Caruso. Mario Lanza starred in the film about the famed opera singer, and it was a turning point for the young singers.

"We loved it, and afterwards, we wanted to sing opera," relates Joseph, whose first aria was "La Donna E Mobile" from Rigoletto. At the time, he could hardly envision winning the Mario Lanza Singing Competition. But that is indeed what happened this summer. First, Joseph was selected as one of 15 finalists. He was the youngest competitor. From these finalists, two were chosen as winners. Joseph was one; the other was Joseph LeBlanc, a highly regarded singer and graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. "It felt really good to be up there with him," says Joseph .
The two-day event was held in New York in Little Italy. Both winners performed in an outdoor concert on the second day, singing to an overflow audience.

"It was a fun event!" enthuses Joseph. He's quite accustomed to the audience's surprise at hearing this slim 12-year-old singer, who weighs all of 70 pounds, belt out Italian opera arias. Moreover, he sings tenor rather than boy soprano.
"People at first are a little shocked because my voice is already a tenor," he says.

He and Lauren both started singing five years ago, but it wasn't opera at first. It all began when Lauren auditioned for a school play as a fifth-grader at Penn Valley Elementary School. A requirement for the audition was to sing a solo. It was the first time she had ever sung publicly. Her mother helped her practice, and she did so well that she was given the main solo in the play. Afterward, people said she stole the show.

"I found that I really liked singing and wanted to continue with it," she says.
At first, coached by her mother, Lauren chose songs popularized by such singers as Whitney Houston and Britney Spears.

Hearing his sister practice, Joseph, too, started singing. His chosen genre was rock 'n' roll in the style of Elvis Presley. The transition to Italian opera came after they saw the Great Caruso video.

And it was quite a natural transition: They grew up immersed in Italian culture. Both parents, Ida and Joseph, are of Italian descent and speak fluent Italian. They parents are also major opera fans. Ida Musumeci's father and grandfather both loved and sang opera -- and in fact, Ida was named for Verdi's opera Aida.

"So it's like a natural gift," says Lauren, who, like her brother, has no trouble singing easily in Italian. Their mother has been their coach, and that's the only formal training they've ever had. To help them build a repertoire, she had them listen to numerous opera CDs and then choose the ones they wanted to learn.

Eager to share their singing, they began to sing informally for friends and at parties. "We sang wherever we went," relates Lauren. As word of their talent got around, they were invited to perform at varied events that focused on Italian culture and opera.

They've been singing ever since. This summer, their performances included North Wildwood's annual Italian-American Festival, which featured a five-hour outdoor concert. The Musumecis received a standing ovation and earned a rave review in the local newspaper.

"They were absolutely amazing," wrote Jacob Schaad Jr. "Being so young and singing opera when many youths are enjoying rock and roll was a revelation to most in that audience."

Their recognition goes well beyond the tri-state area. The two singers are among only 10 performers chosen by Young Classical Performers, an international association.

By now, their performance schedule is so full that it keeps them busy every weekend. Lauren has a closet full of gowns, and Joseph has three sets of tuxedos with tails and three regular tuxes. They recently released a CD, Musical Musumeci, which features three solos by each, plus three duets. Lauren and Joseph each have their own Web site, and their parents manage their flourishing careers.

Of course, they are students as well as singers. And they handle well the challenge of their dual roles. Lauren, who will enter 11th grade at Harriton High School, is a straight A student who plays violin with the school orchestra. Joseph, too, is a straight A student who will be a seventh-grader at Welsh Valley Middle School and is lead percussionist with the school band and orchestra.

Outside of school, however, singing is a major focus, and they look forward to every opportunity to share their love of Italian opera. "Opera is just so beautiful," says Joseph. "And it's fun to sing because there are so many different notes."

The Musumecis will sing at Marc Anthony restaurant at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City on Sept. 18.

For more information about Lauren and Joseph Musumeci, visit their Web sites. For Lauren, it's www.laurenjoy.com; for Joseph, www.josephm.org. Or contact them by e-mail at Musumecifour @AOL.com.

Main Line Times
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