In brief
Club dei 27, a secretive cabal in Italy, only allows new members upon the death or resignation of current ones—and they all share a profound love for Verdi.
In the quaint city of Parma, Italy, an unusual club called Club dei 27 celebrates the legacy of famed opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. At their recent birthday event for Verdi, attendees bypassed the typical “Happy Birthday” song, kicking off the festivities with the stirring “Va Pensiero” from his opera “Nabucco.” The proud members, men from diverse professions like surgeons and lawyers, are united by their reverence for Verdi, and interestingly, they adopt the title of a Verdi opera upon joining. However, entry into Club dei 27 is fiercely selective; it only opens new memberships following the demise or retirement of an existing member—creating an ongoing waiting list marked by a superstitious hope to ward off early departures. During this year's celebration, club president Enzo Petrolini raised a toast with cheers of “Viva Verdi,” marking yet another year of honoring the maestro’s timeless contributions to the world of music.
