Two Lynnfield brothers are fulfilling a lifelong dream Saturday night, bringing a full-blown musical extravaganza to Lynn Auditorium.
Joseph and younger brother Anthony Freda, the prime movers behind Freda World Music, will present “The Dream,” an evening of original music. Joseph (guitar) and Anthony (vocal tenor) will be joined by Ryann Murray (soprano) and Patty Vellucci (vocals, piano). They will be backed by a 25-piece orchestra, conducted by Boston Symphony/Boston Pops percussionist Neil Grover.
In addition to the Freda brothers’ original music, the night will include familiar tunes by Verdi, Puccini and other opera giants, crossover songs blending Joseph’s love of classical and jazz, plus some pop.
“It is dynamic entertainment,” said Anthony.
Joseph Freda, who started writing songs as a 9-year-old in his native Italy, said he’s always wanted to present an evening of original music composed and performed by Anthony and him. This program has been in the works for two years.
Even holding a guitar as a 7-year-old in his native Italy, Joseph knew music would play a major role in his life. He moved to America at age 16, staying with his older brother Italo in Revere’s Beachmont section.
After two years of private guitar lessons, he attended the Boston Conservatory, concentrating on classical guitar. Contemporary artists such as George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, John McLaughlin, and others inspired him to look for more versatility in his playing, so he enrolled at Berklee College of Music with a concentration in jazz writing.
Anthony arrived in America three years after Joseph, and the two brothers, with much help from Italo and his wife Gina, pursued their musical dreams. “We have always composed music together,” said Anthony, who studied classical music and opera at a very early age. While playing bass and singing with different pop bands, he developed a love for all kinds of music.
Anthony graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree, with a focus on arranging and composition. At age 21, he entered the Boston Conservatory where he earned a Master’s degree in Composition and Conducting. All the while, he continued voice lessons and developing a lyric tenor voice suited for opera and pop music.
The Fredas grew up in Avellino, Italy, a little village in the mountains about 35 miles east of Naples.
“Our mother loved to listen to classical records. My grandfather loved opera,” recalled Joseph. “That’s the music I, we, grew up with. Classical music is in my blood. And I love jazz; it offers so much more freedom to explore the music … a little jazz falls into the classical part I love. That’s my style.”
Murray, a North Shore resident, is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Vellucci grew up in Winthrop and lives in Saugus. She and Joseph Freda were in the local top 40/rock band Obstructed View years ago. The two women perform together in area nightspots and restaurants as Girls Night Out.
Freda World Music, “The Dream”, Saturday, April 7, 8 p.m., at Lynn Auditorium, 3 City Hall Square, Lynn. For tickets, go to lynnauditorium.com. Music samples can be heard at fredaworldmusic.net.
