Tribute to a Benefactor of our Municipal Conservatory

Among many of our fellow citizens who honor the art of music, we would like to particularly highlight Professor Pizarello, who recently passed away in Cannes and who, as we once said, left our Municipal Conservatory of Music and Declamation a sum of 30,000 francs, the proceeds of which will be used to reward, each year, the winners of the piano and singing classes.

The son of a great artist who sang for thirty years at the Nice and Genoa Operas, Joseph Pizarello began his studies in our city at the School of Music, then directed by Mr. Guidi.

As a city scholarship holder, he was able to continue his studies at the Paris Conservatory and was appointed professor at the New York Conservatory. After a twenty-seven-year stay in the United States, our compatriot retired to Cannes, at Villa Bel-Canto. Making it their duty to respond to their benefactor's generous gesture with an act of gratitude worthy of young artists, the students of our Conservatory, at the initiative of Miss Adeline Bailet, founder-director of the Conservatory, performed, during the 10 a.m. mass yesterday, Saturday, at the Saint-François-de-Paule church, Gabriel Fauré's admirable "Requiem," one of the master's greatest works, certainly his purest, which honors both music and thought.

The mixed choir, with organ accompaniment, a double string quartet, double bass, and harp, formed an ensemble of sixty performers, who were directed by Mr. C. Harquet, choirmaster of the Saint-François-de-Paule parish and professor at the Conservatory.

We are pleased to congratulate our fellow citizen, Miss Adeline Bailet, who tirelessly devotes herself to the work of our Conservatory and who, through this beautiful musical event, gave the students of her school, too often overlooked, the opportunity to showcase their talents. While splendidly serving the arts, they performed a pious act of gratitude.

D. F.