We are glad to present the Summer Programme of the Teatro Massimo.
Opening on June 22 with a new musical commission dedicated to Santa Rosalia, the Teatro Massimo offers an artistic journey that weaves together memory, cultural identity and international openness and that develops along five fundamental thematic axes the celebration of Santa Rosalia 400 years after the first Festino, in continuity with last summer’s activities for the fourth centenary of the discovery of the remains of Palermo’s patron saint; the dialogue between music and cinema, from the great silent film classics to the most recent Italian cinematography, represented by a composer such as Paolo Buonvino; the valorisation of opera singing, now intangible heritage of humanity, with three concerts by the Massimo Orchestra and established or very young singers, mainly Sicilian; the breadth and depth of the choral repertoire, with a particular focus on sacred music; and finally the renewed commitment to dance and to the Foundation’s Corps de Ballet, one of only four in Italy to have a permanent company.
Two other sections enrich the summer programme of the Teatro Massimo: the YOUNG MUSICIANS SUMMER PROGRAMME and the MASSIMO PER LA CITTÀ.
The YOUNG MUSICIANS SUMMER PROGRAMME is an intense artistic, educational and social experience, involving hundreds of young musicians in a path of growth, thanks to ensemble music, experience on stage and dialogue with the local communities.
The events will range from solo recitals to large orchestral and choral ensembles, from performances on stage, in the halls and on the main staircase of the Teatro Massimo, to important participations in events and festivals that will take place in the Sicilian Region. A true open-air laboratory for artistic growth and confrontation with the public. Among the top shows is “Per amore di Rosalia – 401° Festino S. Rosalia”, which will be staged in the Sala Grande on 11 and 13 July at 9 pm. The show, which sold out last summer, will feature the Massimo Kids Orchestra conducted by maestro Michele De Luca with the Compagnia Teatrale Ditirammu, the Giovani del Ditirammu Lab, and the direction of Elisa Parrinello. Music by Salvatore Nogara and Giovanni Parrinello.
The second section is the MASSIMO PER LA CITTÀ, a diffuse theatre project created to take music beyond the physical confines of the theatre, and involves all the Teatro Massimo’s ensembles in a vast campaign of concerts in the city’s 25 neighbourhoods, starting in the summer and continuing in the following months. Appointments are planned in all the city districts, from the historical monuments (Palazzo Reale, Cappella Palatina, Orto Botanico) to the neighbourhoods of Borgo Vecchio and Ballarò, to the suburbs (Brancaccio, Sperone, ZEN, Borgo Nuovo), including hospitals, schools, churches, juvenile prisons, courtyards, military establishments and squares, putting music at the service of the city community. This project too will see both the participation of orchestra professors and youth ensembles, with the Kids for Kids section, involved in a twofold value: educational for the young musicians, who will have the opportunity to gain professional experience in real contexts and with challenging repertoires in ensembles of various kinds; and social, bringing quality music to areas often excluded from cultural circuits, fostering cultural inclusion and widespread participation.