The musical short film, “Volare” depicts the story of Andrew and Erna Viterbi — two Holocaust refugees, struggling to communicate in a new world, ushering in the communications revolution that makes so much of the modern world possible.
In 2004, the USC Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering received a name. At the time, it was the largest naming gift to a U.S. school of engineering.
Now, as part of the 20th anniversary of the USC Viterbi School naming, the two people behind that name are being celebrated in a new way: a 20-minute musical short film, “Volare,” that shares their love story to a new generation of builders and dreamers.
Much has been written and said about USC trustee Andrew Viterbi, Ph.D. ’62, and his beloved wife, Erna Finci Viterbi, who passed away in 2015. Many great tribute videos have been made. Both were visionary philanthropists who cared deeply about family and education. Andrew, of course, is the cofounder of technology powerhouse Qualcomm and inventor of the Viterbi algorithm.
“VOLARE” (to fly)
A musical short film that tells the story of Andrew and Erna Viterbi, two Holocaust survivors struggling to communicate in a new world, who helped usher in our modern world of digital communications.
Watch the film here:
FAQ on “Volare”
1. Why did an engineering school decide to create a musical?
We wanted to celebrate both Erna and Andrew Viterbi as equal partners — after all, we are honored to share both their names!
For the 20th anniversary, we wanted something that would reflect both of their passions. Andrew, of course, has dedicated his professional life to engineering and digital communications. For Erna, one of her abiding passions was dance and theater. As a child in Sarajevo, she dreamed about becoming a ballerina before the Nazi invasion. If you visit the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, you’ll notice that Barry Edelstein (who was a great ally on the film) is the Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director. So the question became…what if we combined both of their passions and created an engineering musical?
In addition, this film is dedicated not only to the Viterbi family – but to the USC Viterbi family. We wanted to share a bit of the Viterbis’ story with our current and future students in a way that was perhaps more memorable, emotional and (hopefully) re-watchable. We felt that few mediums are as good at sharing pure information in the form of a story as the modern musical. Witness “Hamilton,” “The Six,” or “The Suffs.”
Finally, the basic premise of the Viterbi Algorithm — this notion that “in a noisy world, it allows you to be heard” — this just felt ripe for musical theater treatment!
Actors Lindsay Gitter (in red) and Griffith Frank (in white) depict young Erna and Andrew during their first date in 1957.
2. How can I learn more about the real Andrew and Erna?
A good starting place is Andrew Viterbi’s own words. Read his memoir: “Reflections of An Educator, Researcher And Entrepreneur”
Also, a rare interview with both Andrew and Erna Viterbi:
3. OK, but how did an engineering school make a musical?
The short answer is that we leaned on the interdisciplinary nature of USC. The film was written and directed by Dennis Lee and Adam Smith of the USC Viterbi Office of Marketing and Communications. The music and lyrics were created by a true polymath in alumnus Reuben Levine (B.S. Mech. Eng. ’22). The choreography was by Professor Jackie Kopcsak, assistant dean of the USC Kaufman School of Dance. Many of the principal dancers were USC Kaufman students and alums, including Sophia Oddi (’19), the assistant choreographer. The music you hear is performed by wildly talented students in the USC Thornton School of Music, playing everything from mandolin to percussion to violin. The film was produced by Joey LePage and Lucas Ford, both SCA alums, and much of the crew was populated by current students in the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Simply put: there’s a reason why the first engineering musical made by a university was most likely to be made at USC!
4. Watching on my phone is nice, but how can I watch this in a theater?
The next screening is:
Date: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025
Time: 2pm-4pm
Location: Ginsburg Hall Auditorium (USC main campus)
Don’t miss the exclusive screening of the musical short film “Volare,” followed by a live Q&A with the directors, crew, and our very special guest, Dr. Andrew Viterbi. Secure your spot now and be part of this special event!
5. Why is it called “Volare”?
Andrew and Erna’s favorite songs include “Nel blu, dipinto di blu (Volare),” the most played song in the world in 1958, the year of their marriage. They also loved Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” and Italian operatic arias, with Verdi’s “Va, pensiero” being their favorite.
The song also touches on the film’s theme of communications. Both Andrew and Erna are Europeans who had to learn new languages like English by hard necessity. As a young refugee child in New York, Andrew and his father were told: “Speak English! Italian is the enemy language.” In his later years, according to the family, Italian was reserved mostly for private conversations at home. But the song was still a bridge to a shared past, as well as (“to fly”) a hope for a brighter future.
Published on November 19th, 2024
Last updated on November 19th, 2024
