Firenze 2002 Conference to Reunite Alumni at Newly Renovated Villa La Pietra
NYU Stern will host Firenze 2002: The Second
Global Alumni Conference in Florence, Italy, on October 25-27. At this event,
alumni will have an opportunity to explore and enjoy the newly restored Villa La Pietra, which serves as a European
headquarters for NYU global activity.
In 1994, Sir Harold Acton, writer, historian and patron of the arts, bequeathed his estate, Villa La Pietra, to
New York University. Its fifty-seven acres of olive groves and formal gardens lie within the Florence city limits.
On the grounds are five villas, which include residences for students and faculty, classrooms, computer labs, study
lounges, and dining and exercise facilities. The Villa Acton contains the Acton Art Collection, which includes
notable pieces from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. The Villa Natalia and Villa Colletta, the focus of a
number of the renovations, have retained much of their original renaissance character.
In addition to showcasing the new restorations of the historic Villa, Firenze
2002 will feature panels exploring the historical beginnings of modern finance,
culture and patronage; the business of art and opera; and the future of the global economy.
Distinguished speakers and panelists will include: Niall Ferguson, Oxford Professor of Political and Financial History and NYU Stern School Visiting Professor;
Jean Strouse, J.P. Morgan biographer
and 2001 MacArthur Fellow; A. Richard Turner,
noted Florentine art historian and co-author of The Art of Florence; Robert Rosenblum,
Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of New York; John Kay, Economist and Author of The Business of Economics and How Markets Work;
Sir Andrew Large, Deputy Chairman,
Barclays PLC in London; and Stefano Russo,
Managing Director of Morgan Stanley Investment Management in Milan. In addition, the heads of three of the world's
great opera houses: Joseph Volpe of
the New York Metropolitan Opera; Sir Peter Jonas of Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper; and Carlo Fontana of Milan's Teatro alla Scala will engage in a special dialogue on opera in the 21st century.
Members of the Stern School faculty, including Richard Freedman, Richard Sylla
and Ingo Walter, will moderate panels.
A gala dinner at the Museo degli Argenti in the Pitti Palace on Saturday evening will feature keynote remarks by
Gerald Levin, retired Chief Executive
Officer of AOL Time Warner.
For more information on the conference, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (212) 998-4040 or visit the Firenze 2002 website at http://firenze2002.stern.nyu.edu. A limited number
of seats are still available.
