When Italian immigrants arrived in Ulster County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — to build the Ashokan Reservoir, to work the quarries, to put down roots in Kingston and the surrounding communities — they brought with them more than tools and ambitions. They brought their music. From the emotionally charged working-class opera of the Neapolitan Sceneggiata to the sophisticated swing and cool of the Rat Pack — whose Italian-American roots ran deep — the music of Italian immigrants traveled the same Atlantic crossing their ancestors did, transformed in the New World into something distinctly American without ever losing its soul. In this program, local historian and public history student Steven Caselli explores that musical migration — tracing how the songs, styles, and performers who emerged from Italian immigrant communities shaped American popular culture in ways we are still living with today. The program features live musical performance that brings these traditions to life in the room. It is a celebration of what immigrants carry with them, and what the rest of us inherit.

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This event is free, but seating is limited—please reserve your spot in advance.
We suggest a donation of $15 to support the Sunday Salon Series and the work of the Ulster County Historical Society. You can contribute online when you RSVP or donate at the event itself via cash, check, or credit card.

Thank you for supporting local history and community programming!

About the Presenter

Steven Caselli is a Kingston-based historian, podcaster, and public history student at SUNY Empire State, best known as the host of the Empire State History podcast, which explores the colonial and 19th-century history of the Hudson Valley and New York State. His work focuses on bringing historic sites and stories to life through immersive and interactive experiences, and he conducts oral history research on Italian-American food traditions and cultural identity as part of his master’s thesis — work he regularly shares on Radio Kingston’s Tutto Italiano. Earlier this season he presented From Napoli to the Catskills: Southern Italian Labor and the Construction of the Ashokan Reservoir to an enthusiastic UCHS audience. He returns now to explore a different dimension of the Italian immigrant experience — the music that traveled with those communities and transformed American culture from the inside out.

With guest musical performances by:

James Leo is a Hudson Valley-based blues guitarist and fingerstyle musician whose roots in the acoustic tradition span decades. A native of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, he was inspired to pick up the guitar after discovering the music of blues legend Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins. His musical journey has since embraced country blues, gypsy jazz, and the rich traditions of the New York folk revival.

A familiar presence in the regional acoustic music community, James serves as Chapter President of the Rock Tavern Chapter of the Hudson Valley Folk Guild and has performed throughout the Hudson Valley. He has also shared his music on Radio Kingston’s Tutto Italiano program. James is delighted to bring his love of traditional music to That’s Amore, celebrating the songs and musical traditions Italian immigrants carried with them to Ulster County.

Shelby Thompson is a vocalist and emerging songwriter whose love of music is deeply connected to community, healing, and human connection. Classically trained in New Jersey, she performed with the Bergen Community College Choir before bringing her musical talents to her work with adults with disabilities through music therapy.

Shelby has become a captivating voice in the Hudson Valley’s acoustic music community, appearing as a featured guest vocalist with The New Zeitgeist at Woodstock Porchfest. She has also begun writing and recording her own music, including her debut single, Lost in the Dark. With her clear, expressive voice and passion for the power of music to connect people across generations, Shelby is thrilled to join the Salon in celebrating the musical traditions brought to Ulster County by Italian immigrants.