July 10, 2023
ASIAGOFESTIVAL 2023
Now in its 57th year, the festival conceived by Fiorella Benetti Brazzale will once again make its music resound in Asiago, Aug. 7-15.
Under the artistic direction of Jose Gallardo and Hyun-Jung Berger, the AsiagoFestival returns to make music resound in the Plateau, with the best Italian and international performers, for its 57th edition, always with free admission in keeping with the philosophy of its founder Fiorella Benetti Brazzale. Rich program of the event, which consists of five concerts, between Asiago and Camporovere. This year’s edition will open on August 7 at the Teatro Millepini in Asiago with the presence of one of the most promising European trios, the Trio Incendio, to continue with a concert of chamber music, on August 11, which will be followed by the traditional appointment at the Forte Interrotto in Camporovere, on August 12, with the sounds of the Baltic and Ukrainian musical tradition. Space then is given to a novelty, with the first “Liederabend” in Asiago: to be interpreted by Benjamin Appl, one of the greatest living baritones, will be Schubert’s lieder, on August 13 in the Church of San Rocco. The festival will conclude with the traditional concert of the Assumption, Aug. 15 in the Asiago Cathedral.
Asiagofestival 2023’s guest composer is Romualdas Gražinis from Lithuania. Each concert has free admission thanks to the support of Brazzale s.p.a, which allows a loyal audience in the city of Asiago to enjoy this unique opportunity.
Asiagofestival, over the years, has hosted hundreds of performers, including Sofia Gubaidulina, Julius Berger, Fabio Vacchi, Cameron Carpenter, Bertold Hummel, Giovanni Sollima, Ye-Eun Choi, Wilhelm Killmayer, Pietro De Maria, Domenico Nordio, Claudio Pasceri, Ilya Grubert, Jean Guillou, Leonora Armellini, Anna Tifu, Andrei Pushkarev, Fernando Germani, Wolfango Dalla Vecchia, Gaston Litaize, Wolfgang von Karajan, or ensembles such as the Solisti Veneti or Camerata RCO, Members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Kamer Choir to name but a few.
ASIAGOFESTIVAL 2023: THE PROGRAM
Aug. 7: Evening with the Fire Trio at the Millepini Theater in Asiago
Opening the festival is one of Europe’s most promising trios, fresh from its recent participation in the Verbier festival, the nerve center of chamber music worldwide: the Incendio trio. Founded in 2015 in Prague, the trio consists of pianist Katerina Františová, violinist Filip Zaykov and cellist Vilém Petras. The ensemble recently won second prize at the “Joseph Haydn” Chamber Music Competition in Vienna and the International Chamber Music Competition in Weimar. The program aims to take the audience to the heart of Mitteleuropa: it begins with W.A.Mozart’s highly refined trio K. 502 and continues with Czech B. Martinů (a tribute to the Czech Republic, the homeland of the three young musicians) and finally landing in Schubert with the monumental Opera 99(Asiago, Teatro Millepini, 9 p.m.).
Aug. 11: Second date at Millepini Theater with chamber music
The second event of Asiagofestival keeps the audience in the recollection characteristic of chamber music. The program features alternating pieces for piano cello and piano four-hands. The composers offered are varied, among them we find the Czechs A. Dvořak with an interesting four-hand version of his famous Slavonic Dances and Leoš Janáček with the refined and imaginative “Pohádka” (fairy tale) for cello and piano. Among the pieces on offer are those by Asiagofestival 2023’s guest composer, Lithuanian Romualdas Gražinis. On cello will be New Zealand’s Edward King, on piano Lithuania’s Onutė Gražinytė, and Asiagofestival’s artistic director, Argentina’s Josè Gallardo(Asiago, Teatro Millepini, 9 p.m.).
Aug. 12: Baltic and Ukrainian music at Camporovere’s Forte Interrotto
The third event transports us to the picturesque site of the Interrupted Fort in Camporovere. The highly anticipated open-air event this year offers the audience the sounds of Baltic and Ukrainian musical traditions: the Lithuanian Choir “Aidija,” in fact, will offer a program steeped in folk sounds from those very regions. The Choir is composed mainly of children’s voices and directed by guest composer Romualdas Gražinis. The program also contemplates Arvo Pärt ‘s “Fratres” (in the version for cello and choir) and the premiere performance of the piece dedicated by Gražinis to the City of Asiago: “Asiago-Lithuania” for cello and choir. On cello Julius Berger, Edward King and Hyun-Jung Berger.(Camporovere, Forte Interrotto 5 p.m.; in case of bad weather the concert will be held in Asiago at 9 p.m. in the Church of San Rocco).
Aug. 13: At St. Roch with Schubert’s Lieder
The fourth event will keep the audience in the intimate atmosphere of vocalism. In fact, the festival’s special guest will be Bavarian Benjamin Appl: a pupil of legendary baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, today Appl is considered one of the greatest living baritones. Accompanied by the very elegant hand of pianist Jose Gallardo, the duo will perform a collection of some of Franz Schubert‘s finest Lieder: a proposal as new to Asiagofestival as it is unmissable. (Asiago, Church of San Rocco, 9 p.m.).
Aug. 15: the concert for the Assumption in Asiago Cathedral
The 57th edition of Asiagofestival closes with the traditional concert for the Assumption. At the console in St. Matthew’s Cathedral is organist Roberto Marini, a pupil of F. Germani and now considered“one of the greatest organists of the present era” (Amadeus 2020). Music by M. Reger, M.E. Bossi, C. Franck, J.S. Bach and C.M. Widor.(Asiago, St. Matthew Cathedral at 9 p.m.).
The appointments will be introduced by a brief introduction to take the audience on each of these intense musical journeys.
Art direction: Jose Gallardo and Hyun-Jung Berger
Organizational direction: Alberto Brazzale
President: Roberto Brazzale
Events with free admission, subject to availability.
Asiagofestival is sponsored by the City of Asiago and supported by St. Matthew Parish.
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