A budding opera singer is begging a Manhattan judge to unseal her grandfather’s adoption records so she can claim Italian citizenship and tour the European nation’s innumerable performance halls.
“There are far more opportunities for opera singers, and substantially more opera houses, in Italy and other European countries than in the United States,” soprano Jordanna Hurwitz Rose’s lawyer father, Kenneth Rose, pleaded in court papers.
An Italian passport would allow Jordanna, who currently performs at the New York Lyric Opera Theater, to overcome visa requirements that “pose a significant barrier to [her] professional pursuits,” the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court suit says.
A graduate of the University of British Columbia School of Music, Jordanna, 24, has scored roles as La Contessa in “Le nozze di Figaro” and Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni.”
Robert Rose, Kenneth’s father and Jordanna’s grandfather, was born in New York on Sept. 4, 1917, and adopted between 1920 and 1925. Robert died in 1970.
Kenneth believes Robert’s biological dad was born in Italy before 1900. He thinks Robert’s birth certificate will prove that.
Under Italian law, citizens from other countries can claim Italian citizenship through parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
Kenneth, an international attorney based in San Diego, says he would also benefit from dual citizenship.
Judge Rita Mella turned down Kenneth’s first attempt to unseal his dad’s adoption file, arguing that his need for “an ‘extra’ citizenship for himself and his children” did not outweigh confidentiality concerns.
Kenneth’s attorney, Michael Lippman, said he is hopeful that Mella will reconsider her ruling at a May 27 hearing.
“I think she came down on the wrong side…considering everyone involved is long gone so nobody’s privacy is violated,” Lippman said.