Strumenti&Musica Festival is back in Spoleto. From November 23 to 28, the Cultural Association Italian Accordion Culture offers a week of quality music, with leading names in the classical and contemporary international scene.

The continuing pandemic crisis has not allowed to announce the usual accordion, piano and composition competitions, which have become a reference point for hundreds of young musicians from all over the world, but the need to give new life to live concert music has made even stronger the will to continue, despite the difficulties. So, from the open windows of the Salone d’Onore of Palazzo Leti Sansi, you will once again be able to hear notes and melodies to breathe deeply, like new fresh air.

In addition to the presence of established artists worldwide, the program will be enriched by the participation of musicians from prestigious Italian conservatories that will compete in the execution of a selection of works from Gian Carlo Menotti’s instrumental repertoire, transcribed for accordion.

Another novelty this year is the institution of the training course on music journalism “Orchestra editors. Musical journalism between criticism and information” for members of the Ordine dei Giornalisti, but open to anyone who wishes to participate.

The course, by the S.I.Ge.F. – O.d.G. of Umbria, will be held Saturday, November 27 from 9.00 (Palazzo Leti Sansi) and aims to shed light on a sector of cultural journalism, and journalism in general, highlighting problems and opportunities between tradition and new media. Participants: Francesca Nesler (Cultured music project leader – Rai Cultura), Sandro Cappelletto (music critic), Maria Pia Fanciulli (press office “Amici della Musica” of Foligno), Gianluca Bibiani (editor of “Strumenti&Musica Magazine”). The introduction is by Sergio Macedone (co-director of “Strumenti&Musica Magazine”, author of Rai 5-Musica Colta and editor of the music pages of raicultura.it). Sergio Macedone and Ilaria Bellini (co-director of “Strumenti&Musica Magazine”) will coordinate the event.

The concerts, with free admission, will start on Tuesday 23rd November at 21.00, with the Duo Una Sinistra composed by the Russian accordionists Alexander Selivanov (button accordion) & Yulia Amerikova (piano accordion). Both classical accordionists from Moscow’s prestigious “Gnessin” Russian State Music Academy. The Duo is the winner of the 1st prize in the world accordion competition “Coupe Mondiale” and since 2004 they have been performing all over the world (Europe, China, USA). The program includes Russian and European classics and musical pieces from the repertoire of composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Georgij Vasil’evič Sviridov and François Couperin.

The concert of November 24, which will begin at 21.00, is divided into two parts: the first part will be performed by the duo consisting of the bandoneonist/guitarist Roman Gomez and the singer Andria Antoniou accompanied, for the occasion, by an exceptional guest, the Greek violinist Loulia Selalmazidi, who will perform some songs from their latest production Encuentro. The protagonist of the second part of the evening will be the young, but already particularly successful, jazz accordionist Antonino De Luca with his solo project Confini (Borders).

Thursday, November 25 will be the turn of the Belgian duo Jef De Haes and Katrien Nauwelaerts, accordion and voice, whose program will be articulated in the compositions, among others, of Ravel, Angelis and Bizet.

Particularly evocative is the concert on 26th November, again at 21.00, proposed by the trio formed by Patrizia Angeloni (professor of accordion at the Conservatory of Latina), Stefano Di Loreto and Umberto Turchi as it is inspired by an extremely important figure for the city of Spoleto, Maestro Gian Carlo Menotti: LacrimErisi. Homage to Menotti. A research writing-writing, the object of the proposed works, which moves from the arcane and very current dissonances of Gesualdo da Venosa to the contemporaneity of Menotti, Lee, Penderecki and Rotili.

The sound of the accordionist Vince Abbracciante, a leading figure of Italian jazz, already known to the general public for his repeated collaborations with artists of international caliber, is of a completely different kind. It will be him to tread the scene, Saturday, November 27 at 21.00, in Nocturno solo concert. The ethereal sound of two apparently “gypsy” hands that transport the listener on a metaphysical journey towards the most diverse cultures and sounds.

The 2021 edition of Strumenti&Musica Festival, which marks the restart of a consolidated project after a break forced by the ongoing pandemic, will close on Sunday, November 28, at 18. 00, with Italian New Talents, the exhibition of young accordionists, Camilla Celletti, Pietro Caldarelli, Sofia Santorelli and Emanuele Viti: four young people of great hopes who have brilliantly represented Italy at the 74th edition of the Coupe Mondiale CIA (Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes) held in Munich in October.

For information and reservations: 334 8681080 and info@strumentiemusica.com

The Italian Accordion Culture Association – Première Voting Member of the CIA IMC-Unesco, thanks the City of Spoleto, the Umbrian Land Reclamation Consortium, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Spoleto, the Francesca, Valentina and Luigi Antonini Foundation, the ACEP (Association of Creative Artists and Music Producers), the UNEMIA (Union of Italian Music Publishers and Authors) and the Scandalli Accordions company.