Over 1700 guests were invited to Astana to applaud the master pianist and composer Alessandro Martire, a young Italian talent who performed the world premiere of his new album, “Wind of Gea”. Evocative and powerful sounds, an expression of music seen as a cultural encounter among peoples and as a tool to rediscover harmony among human beings and nature. Martire was born in 1992, when Italy and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations. He performed at the Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, an Italian “temple” of music, designed by architect Manfredi Nicoletti. The initiative was part of the “Mani esperte” [Expert hands] series of events, outlined by the Embassy to celebrate the 30 years of relations between Italy and Kazakhstan in terms of integrated cooperation and promotion. The artist’s expert hands, therefore, performed unpublished music in a venue built by equally-skilled Italian hands.
Alessandro Martire said: “I am returning to Kazakhstan, where I found a young but very competent audience that really loves Italy. I am happy to launch my new album here. Wind of Gea is inspired by the wind, the protagonist of the extraordinary nature in this Country. A personal contribution to the friendship among our peoples and the promotion of Italian culture in Kazakhstan.”
The event was also highly anticipated by the local media. In fact, during the evening, the video clip of “Larme”, an unpublished piece by Alessandro Martire to celebrate the friendship between Italy and Kazakhstan, was launched here as a world premiere. As a result of a public-private partnership between the Embassy and the Italian company Technogym, a world leader in the wellness sector, the video, unique in its style, was filmed in the Charyn Canyon, one of the most beautiful naturalist theatres in Central Asia and a destination for tourists from all over the world. A white piano is at the centre of a particularly evocative natural setting. The music, at times powerful, at times nostalgic, recalls the value of dialogue among peoples as the foundation for international relations and the need to recover “harmony” with nature.
Ambassador Alberti said: “Both the concert and the Larme video clip reflect an idea of cooperation based on three principles. First, doing things together: Martire did not play alone, but with the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra. Second, to suggest innovative initiatives to enhance their impact and bring partners together: we decided to accompany the concert with a unique and extraordinary video, recorded in the Charyn Canyon, which will then be shared on social media and seen by many people, here and in other Countries. Finally, enhancing the integrated, yet sustainable, component of promotion: culture and business, public and private, Embassy and Kazakh Tourism, multiplying the value for each one. Presenting the initiative during the days of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik also reinforces the idea of culture as an expression of a new relationship between human beings and the environment.”
The concert is also sold out in Bishkek, where Martire is expected on 10 November, once again with the support of the Embassy, for a second concert in Central Asia, as part of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations between Italy and Kyrgyzstan.
