For the first time in Sarajevo, the Associazione Orchestra da camera di Santa Cecilia – known as the “Filarmonici di Roma” – was the protagonist of the Maggio Musicale Italiano, the event launched by the Italian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina to bring great Italian music to the forefront, paving the way for the upcoming Festa della Repubblica (Italian Republic Day).
The prestigious Army Hall hosted the Concert “Melodia e Virtuosismo nella musica italiana” (Melody and Virtuosity in Italian Music). The event was attended by numerous institutional authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, also representing the State Presidency, large sectors of the international community, and leading representatives of the local cultural world.
The concert programme featured Gioacchino Rossini, Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Joseph Haydn and Ottorino Respighi. In the highly applauded encore, the Filarmonici also paid homage to the composer Giacomo Puccini – whose death centenary falls this year – with a chamber orchestra version of the famous romanza Nessun dorma from Turandot.
“Within the framework of Italian cultural diplomacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” commented Ambassador Marco Di Ruzza, “music confirms itself as an extraordinary bridge between the two countries, offering a privileged ground for cooperation. We are delighted that the Maggio Musicale Italiano enjoys such wide acclaim in the country, guiding us once again with extraordinary melodies towards the Second of June, the Italian National Day”.
