named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
A Garden of Healing
Book presentation and signing event hosted in partnership with Carla Haynes, combining storytelling and cultural discussion in a community healing space.
La Cantata dei Pastori
A Neapolitan Renaissance Christmas show based on a 17th-century Southern Italian play, featuring traditional music, Commedia dell'Arte masks, and narration by La Befana in English.
Tarantata: Spider Dance
Performance of trance dances and healing chants associated with the Feast of the Tarantati, celebrating the myth of the tarantula bite and devotion to the Black Madonna.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Original Music-Theater and Opera Production 1 activity
- Creation and direction of folk operas and original worksCommissions, creates, and performs original folk operas and musical works such as "The Dance of the Ancient Spider," "Stabat Mater, Donna di Paradiso," and "The Marimba’Ba Suite," often integrating traditional Southern Italian elements with contemporary composition.
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Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
- Educational performances and artist-in-residence programmingConducts educational performances and programming as Artists in Residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts, where members perform and teach Renaissance music and lead workshops on Commedia dell'Arte, Italian folk songs, and dances.
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Live Music Performances for Seniors and Isolated Populations 1 activity
- Healing and community engagement through drumming and performanceLeads healing drum circles at UNITED HEBREW Nursing Home since 2011 and performs interfaith healing concerts featuring ancient chants to the Black Madonna, integrating music as a form of spiritual and communal healing.
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Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 1 activity
- Performance of Southern Italian folk music, dance, and theater traditionsPresents authentic Southern Italian music, dance, and theater traditions dating back to the 13th century, including performances at major cultural venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Metropolitan Museum. Also performs folk operas such as "Tarantella - Spider Dance," "Stabat Mater: Donna de Paradiso," and "La Cantata dei Pastori."
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Production and release of recordings of Italian folk musicProduces and releases recordings of Southern Italian folk music, including acclaimed albums such as "Tarantata: The Dance of the Ancient Spider," which won Best World Percussion CD of the Year, and "Tarantelle & Canti D'amore," recognized as the second best percussion CD of the year by DRUM Magazine.
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Italian Cultural Heritage Programming 1 activity
- Special events and anniversary celebrationsHosts special performances and events such as the 40th-anniversary dinner and theater performance of "Tarantata," the Celebration of Peace and Light at Theater for the New City, and fundraising benefit concerts to honor contributions to Italian culture and support organizational activities.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Workshops and training in Southern Italian folk traditionsConducts workshops in Southern Italian folk music and dance, including two-day Tarantella dance workshops teaching rhythms, tambourine technique, dance steps, and folk songs, as well as the long-running “Rhythm is the Cure” dance and drumming workshops in Tuscany for international students. Established a training program at the Italian American Museum in Little Italy.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$128K
Contributions & grants$46K36%
Program service revenue$78K61%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$130K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$34K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$34K
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue +17.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Mindek | Director | 10 | $2K |
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- ABC TV Partner — Featured live on ABC TV in Chicago.
- Capri Restaurant - Little Italy Partner — Venue for I Giullari di Piazza's 40th-anniversary dinner and theater performance and a fundraising benefit concert in December 2019.
- Caramoor Center for Music and Arts Partner — Regularly teaches educational programs and children's workshops at the center in Katonah, NY.
- Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Partner — Hosts I Giullari di Piazza members as Artists-in-Residence since 1992 for performance and teaching of Renaissance music
- Carnegie Hall Partner — Performed productions including "The Adventures of Don Giovanni & his Servant Pulcinella."
- Casa Belvedere Partner — Hosted a two-day Tarantella dance workshop at Casa Belvedere.
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine Government — Artist-in-Residence venue for I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA in New York City
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine Partner — Artists in Residence program hosting performances and educational outreach
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine Partner — Served as artist-in-residence for 15 years.
- Italian American Museum Partner — Hosts a training program in Southern Italian folk music and dance established by the artistic director
- Jerome Foundation Funder — Commissioned The Marimba’Ba Suite for the ETHOS Percussion Ensemble
- Lincoln Center Partner — Performed at Alice Tully Hall and commissioned works such as "1492-1992: Earth, Sun and Moon" for the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival.
- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Partner — Collaborated on commissioning The Dance of the Ancient Spider in 1996
- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Partner — Presenting venue for performances and recipient of Community Arts Project Award
- Marisa Tomei Partner — Honored for her commitment to Italian culture and the healing arts during a theater and dinner event.
- NYU CASA ITALIAN ZERILLI MARIMO Partner — Presented "La Cantata dei Pastori" in partnership with NYU CASA ITALIAN ZERILLI MARIMO
- National Geographic Partner — Featured in the documentary "Spider Sex," performing an authentic tarantella as a healing trance ritual.
- New York University Partner — Hosted a ten-year residency at the Center for Italian Studies at New York University.
- Queens Public Library Partner — Hosted the performance "The Voyage of the Black Madonna" at Queens Public Library.
- REMO Partner — Collaborator in producing a signature series of Italian tambourines
- SUNY Fredonia Partner — Hosted a residency with the Women Studies program funded by the Carnahan Jackson Humanities Fund
- Smithsonian Institution Partner — Performed productions such as "La Cantata dei Pastori."
- The Cathedral of St. John the Divine Partner — Hosted performances and served as venue for the premiere of Stabat Mater, Donna di Paradiso and as artist-in-residence site
- The New York State Council on The Arts Government — Provided a composing grant in 1998 for the sacred opera Stabat Mater, Donna di Paradiso
- Theater for the New City Partner — Hosted performances of I Giullari di Piazza's Celebration of Peace and Light on December 28 and 29, 2019.
- Theater for the New City Partner — Hosted the Black Madonna: Celebration of Peace & Light event at its venue.
- Theater for the New City Partner — Venue partner for the Black Madonna: Celebration of Peace and Light event.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Arts-Based Healing and Spiritual Integrationmethodology: arts-healing-spiritual-integrationBy integrating ritual music, dance, and theater into communal and spiritual settings, we promote individual and collective healing, because traditional artistic forms accessed through improvisation and ceremony activate emotional release and spiritual connection.
- Cultural Revitalization Through Embodied Performancemethodology: cultural-revitalization-through-performanceBy reviving and performing traditional Southern Italian music, dance, and Commedia Dell'Arte theater, we sustain cultural identity and foster healing, because embodied artistic expression strengthens community belonging and unlocks emotional resilience.
- Cultural Transmission Through Immersive Educationmethodology: cultural-education-through-immersionBy teaching Italian Renaissance music and folk traditions through immersive, research-based educational programs, we strengthen intergenerational cultural continuity, because direct engagement with ancestral art forms fosters identity and belonging in youth.