What do Maria Callas, Lady Emma Hamilton, Electric music, and drag all have in common? In this episode of Textural Anthologies, we explore these connections with a fascinating guest—Matteo Augello.
Italian-born, London-based, Matteo is a performer, cultural studies lecturer, and collaborator with the Victoria & Albert Museum. His impressive career includes work with the Royal Opera House, the BBC, and the American Ballet Theatre in NYC. He describes himself as a performance artist who uses his body as a research tool to tell stories from the past that still resonate today.
In this episode, we dive into Matteo’s eclectic work, from his captivating performance The Art of the Prima Donna at the V&A, which explores the history of female opera singers, to his innovative electropastiche interpretation of Donizetti's famous arias. Together with musician Jo Pedrali, Matteo merges opera with electronic music, creating a contemporary suite that can be played at a rave or performed in a 17th-century theatre—an experience brought to life through sound, movement, and drag.
We also discuss his upcoming projects, including a soundscape performance celebrating Caravaggio's birth anniversary and the reconstruction of the choreographies of Lady Emma Hamilton’s Attitudes.
Join us as we catch up with Matteo Augello and delve into his world of performance art, where history, music, and drag collide in the most extraordinary ways.
Watch Matteo perform the 'Udite, udite: Requiem per Elisabetta' during the Donizetti Night in Bergamo.
https://vimeo.com/370186564?fbclid=IwAR1z-GGIi59A0tDou-vxKNr5-Y3vZYFUc1LkWUPMGklpjYEUsTSUp7XwthQ
Watch Matteo's lecture-performance, 'The Art of the Prima Donna', commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
https://vimeo.com/367609260