Cantiere Internazionale d’ Arte in Montepulciano

International, multidisciplinary, devoted to the cultural growth of young people and to the enhancement of contemporary creativity, which has always been understood as an inclusive and collective event, far from the logic of any stardom: after 47 years the Cantiere Internazionale dell’Arte reconfirms, edition after edition, its adherence to the utopian dream of its founder, the composer and German intellectual Hans Werner Henze, who wanted to transform one of the most enchanting and authentic villages of Tuscany into a forge of socially useful beauty through the supranational language of music, a daily work that leads every year to the Cantiere, an art event, democratic and horizontal , a celebration for everyone, from the many illustrious international guests to the young people of the village, in fifteen days that truly transfigure the Renaissance stones of Montepulciano into dreams, sound and future.

From 16 to 31 July 2022, 36 events are scheduled. With two youth orchestras – the Poliziana one born with the Cantiere and the Youth Orchestra of the Conservatory of Italian Switzerland – and two orchestras of proven experience – the Orchestra della Toscana and the Dresdner Sinfoniker, true all-star formation with transversal collaborations – all in residence and committed on different stages and in projects of true “musical show”, as the first interdisciplinary definition of Henze dictates, the centers and countryside of Siena will be truly invaded by music, art and life in common with the 320 artists from all over the world, including which stands out the names of the Japanese-American star of international pianism Mari Kodama, protagonist of the closing concert on the repertoire of Silvia Colasanti, Schumann and Prokofiev; of the French registrar awarded with the Order of Arts and Letters Vincent Boussard,Rita di Donizetti in the chamber transcription by Paolo Cognetti and with the voice of the esteemed soprano Patrizia Ciofi. And again the Hamburg principal dancer Alexandre Ryabko, the conductor Yuman Ruiz who grew up in El Sistema di Abreu, the German conductor Marc Niemann, the historic Milanese Sentieri Selvaggi ensemble led by Carlo Boccadoro, also engaged as a pianist together with Andrea Rebaudengo in the ‘tribute to the experimental path of Franco Battiato.

A separate itinerary will instead be dedicated to the tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini in his centenary under the title PSLN, with the unprecedented dramaturgy by Roberto Paci Dalò and Benedetta Bronzini which will enrich the total of 15 absolute premieres and commissions of the Shipyard, demonstrating the new creative vivacity strongly desired by its artistic director, the Italian composer Mauro Montalbetti, who thus concludes his artistic choices for this very rich edition: “We highlight the remarkable productive effort with four works of musical theater, two of which are expressly commissioned to young composers, and one of traditional repertoire; the large number of commissions (ten) and then dance, multimedia innovations, but even more the significant reconstruction of the international dimension, after the last few seasons had limited the circulation of artists “.

A real maze of artistic plots in continuous dialogue is therefore the Shipyard today , whose collaborations on the musical and cultural education front of young people are multiplying: from the IED European Institute of Design on the visual front to the historic collaboration with SummerLab of the European Academy of Music and Arts Palazzo Ricci, continuing with the young set designers of the Academy of Fine Arts of Macerata and with the light designer selected by the Guido Levi Lighting Lab, engaged for the Rita of Donizetti, then with the young Sienese composers of the ISSM Rinaldo Franci of Siena and authors of one of the band events, which has always been the beating and musical heart of the city of Montepulciano in its indissoluble link with the pioneering experience of Henze. 

To strengthen the right to culture , the Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte introduces this year the free musical babysitting service: adults can thus follow shows and concerts, while children, including babies, will remain in the company of the experts of the Henze Institute for to carry out musical preparatory activities, so that everyone, of all ages, can participate in the musical and cultural experience of the Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte. Because enhancing the knowledge of music and the arts among young people is not only a building site for new talents as future professionals, but it is also and above all a political and social act of liberation from indifference, of teaching to mutual listening, a path of formation for better citizens through beauty.