Ninfa Gianfala - Little Girl from Magazine Street

Ninfa Gianfala grew up in New Orleans where she began her musical studies. Her vocal endowment attracted the New Orleans Opera Guild, which sent her to New York City to study with Lotte Leonard at Juilliard School of Music, with scholarships from both Juilliard and the New Orleans Opera Guild. She returned briefly to New Orleans and received her Masters of Music Degree from Louisiana State University singing lead operatic roles there, and was soloist with the Baton Rouge Symphony conducted by Dr. Peter Paul Fuchs and the New Orleans Summer Pops orchestra conducted by Skitch Henderson. Dr. Earl Redding and Dr. Peter Paul Fuchs were her teachers at LSU. Returning to New York, she won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions placing her on the Met's Young Artist Roster, studying voice with Marinka Gurewich. She was the winner of the William Matheus Sullivan Award judged by Giovanni Martinelli and Fausto Cleva from the Metropolitan Opera. This culminated into a concert performance for them and a select audience at Town Hall. Her accompanist was Charles Wadsworth. She also won the American Guild of Musical Artists Award. The soprano has concertized in New York City and throughout the Southern United States. In addition to singing and pianistic accomplishments, she has a number of musical compositions to her credit, including a musical called "Malachi". She has also written country, pop (mainstream), Gospel, and orchestral compositions. She was commissioned by the Governor's Committee to write the song to celebrate the 175th Year of Statehood for Louisiana April 30, 1987. She sang the song she wrote called "Louisiana!" at the State Capitol for the celebration. The song remains in the State Archives. She received a commendation from former President Ronald Reagan for her original composition "Miss Liberty Miss Liberty" which was written for the Statue of Liberty Celebration in New York City.