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“INAUGURATION”. A series of concerts to celebrate the new Bechstein piano at the IIC in New York

Francesco Didioni, Il solfeggio, 1873 (private collection)
  • Event date: From August 20 2024 To December 16 2024
  • Place: IIC-NY 686 Park Avenue, NY
  • For a fee: No

“INAUGURATION”

A series of concerts to celebrate the new Bechstein piano at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York

Every singer is first and foremost a voice, with its unique timbre, tonal qualities, and colors. Even great performers seek instruments that can give voice to their interpretation of musical texts. Composers such as Bach, Paganini, and Clementi played a crucial role in innovating the characteristics of musical instruments of their time, precisely because they were in search of sounds that emerged in their imagination but did not yet exist in reality. For this reason, a high-culture institution like the Italian Institute of Culture in New York has taken on the task of acquiring a new piano that fully honors the excellence of the performers invited to play.

A European-made Bechstein (Hoffmann by Bechstein) was chosen, with a broad, lyrical, and deep sound, capable of adapting to both Romantic and Baroque and modern repertoires. The acquisition was facilitated by a significant reduction in the list price, for which the Institute thanks Faust Harrison Pianos – 207 W 58th St, New York. Special thanks also go to the pianists Cristiana Pegoraro and Leonora Armellini, who assisted Director Fabio Finotti in the search and selection of the instrument.

To celebrate this important acquisition, the Institute has organized the “Inauguration” series, which will feature prominent pianists and musicians during the summer and autumn of 2024, presenting both classical repertoire and original compositions. The concerts will also serve as a fundraising effort to help the Institute cover the cost of the new instrument. However, above all, the concerts aim to be a gift to the audience of the Italian Cultural Institute and a confirmation that the Institute’s current and future programming aspires to “a new music” that meets not only the standards of its performers but also of its listeners.

 “INAUGURATION” 

Program of the series

  • IIC New York | 21 agosto 2024 – “Mosaics: Italian Impressions” – Francesca Khalifa (piano) and Nune Melik (violin).
  • IIC NY | September 18, 2024 – “Notes from Rome: Music by American Academy in Rome Fellows” – Longleash Ensemble
  • IIC NY | September 20, 2024 – “Per te” – Baron Fenwick (piano) with music by Roberto Scarcella Perino.
  • IIC NY | October 3, 2024 – “Music for freedom: concert in honor of Ukraine” – Pavel Gintov (piano).
  • IIC NY | October 11, 2024 – “Music, senses and territory” – Cristiana Pegoraro (piano).
  • IIC NY | October 28, 2024 – “Speed, power, elegance in music” – Abbayneh Salterini (piano) and Camilla De Giovanni (violin).
  • IIC NY | November 4, 2024 – Alberto Nosè (piano) in concert.
  • IIC NY | November 9, 2024 – Giuseppe Buscemi (guitar) and Francesca Abusambra (violin) in concert.
  • Carnegie Hall | November 14, 2024 – Cristiana Pegoraro (piano) in concert.
  • IIC NY | November 20, 2024 – “Alone, lost, abandoned”. Musical performance – Maria Grazia Calandrone (writer) and Umbria Ensemble directed by Maria Cecilia Berioli.
  • IIC NY | December 6, 2024 – “Naples meets New York”: Luca Alemagna (piano) in concert.
  • Organized by: IIC-NY