The EUROPA SUITE musical project was born as a means of cultural proximity to and solidarity with the Ukrainian people – who are committed to safeguarding their identity and freedom, as well as their ties with the other European peoples – and arose within the framework of Italy’s initiatives, also in the cultural and artistic fields, in support of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian Federation’s aggression. EUROPA SUITE was realised by the Emilia Romagna Festival Association and produced by the Italian Cultural Institute of Warsaw, the Italian Cultural Institute of Krakow and the Italian Embassy in Riga, thanks to the collaboration of Fondazione ATER and the Emilia-Romagna Region.
“One year after the Russian Federation’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, Italy continues to be close to the Ukrainian people with all-round support, which also involves the spheres of art and culture. The project, which is significantly called Europe Suite, is intended to be a tangible testimony of our solidarity,” said Ambassador Agrée Luca Franchetti Pardo.
On the tragic wave of the ongoing conflict, Matteo Ramon Arevalos composed his voice (Camilla Lopez), flute (Vanni Montanari), violin (Roberto Noferini), guitar (Donato D’Antonio), electronics and piano (Matteo Ramon Arevalos) Suite. The work, which will be performed in Krakow, Warsaw, Poznań and Riga, is inspired by the mythological figure of Europa, a young Phoenician princess loved by Zeus. In the piece, it is precisely the concept of Europe as a common space of cultures and consciences that is also evoked through references to songs, music and dances from popular traditions. The four movements of the Suite follow the common thread that unites the cosmogonies of all peoples, from East to West – Air, Water, Earth and Fire, the natural elements on whose balance depend the life of the human species and the survival of the “kosmos”, i.e., the ordered universe formed from chaos.
The event is combined with a fundraiser for Ukraine. You can offer your contribution online or by contacting authorised personnel before the concert. All proceeds will be donated to the Association “Dobro Zawsze Wraca” (meaning “good always comes back to you”), which is committed to helping Ukrainian refugees in Poland and sending aid to Ukraine.
These are the dates of the concerts in Poland:
Krakow | 6 March 6 p.m. | “Karol Szymanowski” Philharmonic, ul. Zwierzyniecka 1
Warsaw | 7 March 7 p.m. | Studio Koncertowe „W. Lutosławski”, ul. Z. Modzelewskiego 59
Poznań | 9 March 7 p.m. | Centrum Kultury ZAMEK, ul. Św. Marcin 80/82