Mario Lanza (his original name was Alfredo Arnaldo) was born on the 31st of January 1921 in Philadelphia from a family of Italian humble emigrants, his father Antonio di Filignano and his mother Maria Lanza di Tocco from Casauria in the province of Pescara in Abruzzo; he dedicated himself, after the normal school studies, to various activities, showing above all a natural gift for sporting disciplines, but when he was nineteen started to dedicate himself to singing and to attend lessons by Irene Williams, whom, enthusiast about his unusual vocal talent, wanted to show him to the famous conductor Serge Koussevitzky. Mario Lanza sang for him “Vesti la giubba”, from “The Clowns”, and Koussevitzky was amazed at it. Since then, singing and cinema were on the up and up.

Since 1996 every year, on August, in Filignano – Mario Lanza hometown – takes place the “International Festival of Operamusical Singing – Tribute to Mario Lanza” in memory of the great tenor. Through this Festival, Filignano makes know itself on world level enhancing lyric music and launching young singers.
The event can be numbered among the important artistic appointments, contributing during the years to attract the large public towards Filignano (and the Province of Isernia).
The artistic director, the tenor Gian Luca Terranova, succeeded in blending, in the Opera and Musical Festival, two genres played by Mario Lanza with great enthusiasm. Operamusical is also the title of the competition honouring the great tenor during the Festival.