Seven evenings of music to enjoy open air, completely free of charge, in venues located in some of the iconic sites of Castelfiorentino’s cultural heritage: the Monastery of Santa Maria della Marca, the Cambio Cultural Centre and Piazza Gramsci. A programme almost double the size of previous years, offering the public two events as part of the Maggio Metropolitano, featuring musicians and opera singers from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. This is the highlight of Giugno Musicale Castellano, which kicks off on Sunday 31 May (9.00 p.m.) in the courtyard of the Monastery of Santa Maria della Marca with a concert by the brass section of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the “Squillibrass” brass ensemble (conducted by Jasmine Conti) and the “G. Verdi” Philharmonic Orchestra.
Friday 5 June (again in the courtyard of Santa Maria della Marca, 9.00 p.m.) features “I Giovani e la Filarmonica”, starring the “Turbolenti”, students taking part in projects organised jointly by the Philharmonic and the School of Music (conductor Stefano Mangini), whilst on Saturday 6 June Piazza Gramsci will host a special performance: “Verdi Game”, curated by Venti Lucenti and produced in co-production with the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. An opera performance that deeply engages the audience, halfway between a game and a story, inviting them to rediscover the extraordinary figure of Giuseppe Verdi through a reinterpretation of his final masterpiece: Falstaff.
After a short break, the festival will return on Tuesday 16 June (in the courtyard of Santa Maria della Marca) with an evening dedicated to “Jazz and the 20th Century. Charlie Parker and Bebop”, organised by the Music School, featuring Claudio Fontanelli and Orzo Bruno, whilst from Thursday 18 June it will move to the courtyard of the Cambio Cultural Centre with the first concert “Symphony of the New World”, performed by the Orpheus Orchestra conducted by Gabriele Centorbi. On Sunday 21 June (again at the Cambio Cultural Centre), an evening dedicated to “Schumann: Romantic Heart”, again featuring the Orpheus Orchestra (piano: Nicoletta Cantini, conductor: Giovanni Mancini). The festival concludes on Wednesday 26 June with the opera concert “Verdiani accenti”, organised by the “Amici della Lirica Umberto Borsò” Association in collaboration with Orpheus, featuring the beautiful voices of Alessia Battini, Greta Bonamici and Pedro Carrillo (with Nicoletta Cantini on piano).
“Seven unmissable events”, emphasises the Councillor for Culture, Franco Spina, “two of which are part of the Maggio Metropolitano festival, spanning a range of genres from jazz to opera, from brass band repertoire to chamber music, will take place in some of the iconic venues of Castiglione’s cultural life: the courtyard of the Monastery of Santa Maria della Marca and the new Cambio Cultural Centre. The Giugno Musicale exudes history and heritage, folk culture, professionalism, education and inclusivity. It celebrates talent, focuses on the younger generation, fosters community spirit and creates synergy under the banner of music that generates culture. The Giugno Musicale is one of the very souls of our city of ‘musicians’ and artists. It smells of summer. Of dreams. Of beauty”.
“Giugno Musicale Castellano” is promoted by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino, the Orpheus Association and the “Amici della Lirica Umberto Borsò” Association, in collaboration with the Music School, the “G. Verdi” Philharmonic and the Cambio Cultural Centre.
