Sixteen evenings, thirty-two events and as many artists: the Concerts under the Stars, 2024 edition, the world music festival that has now become a classic of the Pescara summer, are starting again. A program full of proposals that will unfold between the Aurum and the Arena of Marina di Pescara between July and August. They range from the most “committed” musical languages to the newest ones, brought to the stage by young talents: artists selected also thanks to collaborations and artistic twinnings with Italian and international cultural organizations.
As per tradition, Concerts under the stars ideally retraces the evolution of musical taste, spanning three centuries of music, from Johann Sebastian Bach to Louis Armstrong, from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Charlie Parker, from Astor Piazzolla to Paco De Lucia. Classical music is combined with light music with proposals from all continents: an ideal world tour that goes from classical-romantic music to the many contemporary expressions, from opera and operetta to “evergreen” songs, pop and fusion, touching on Afro-American music, Latin American music and European and Italian ethnic traditions, with their contaminations as suggestive as they are unexplored.
The first six concerts will be held in Piazzale Michelucci dell’Aurum, starting at 9:30 pm. First evening, Monday 1 July, with a double appointment between baroque and pop: at 9:30 pm, the guitarist from Grosseto Fabio Montomoli followed by “Vagabondando tra le stelle” with the group from Marsica Mousikè. Friday 5 July continues with the tribute between theatre and music by the Soundiff Pop Ensemble dedicated to Fabrizio De Andrè; followed by the Dutch Bobby Rootveld & Sanna Van Elst. Monday 8 July, Don’t bother me: the soprano Chiara Tarquini and the guitarist Eugenio Caronna offer a repertoire of Neapolitan songs, while the second part of the evening will be all for the eccentric actor and singer Maurizio Pellegrini, accompanied by Valerio Fusillo’s mandolin and Nicola Nesta’s guitar. Friday 12 July, Latin jazz & bossa-nova with Bruno Graziosi Trio and Francesco Buzzurro, guest the Abruzzo guitarist Maurizio Di Fulvio. Tuesday 16 July, homage to Cinema with the English guitarist Tom Kerstens and then with the duo Roberto Caberlotto & Gilberto Meneghin. Thursday 18 July we travel between Brazil and Italy with Pino Arborea Quintet featuring Sara Bellisario & Sara Ciancetta followed by the Mefitis Quartet. Monday 22 July appointment with the Hungarian guitarist Sandor Papp; followed by the Italian Instrumental Complex and their repertoire which ranges from Piazzolla and Gardel to Morricone and Piovani. Last concert at the Aurum, Tuesday 30 July, the virtuosity of the Chilean guitarist and composer Alberto Cumplido, and the Russian violinist Vadim Tchijik with the French guitarist Frederic Bernard.
In August, the Concerts under the Stars move to the Tourist Port, all starting at 9:30 p.m.: Thursday, August 1, blues, spirituals, tangos and milongas first with Angela Williams & Silvio Feliciani, then with Javier Girotto & Lumière Ensemble. Saturday, August 3, Andrea Ciaccio Trio & Stefano “Cocco” Cantini followed by the Mascara Quartet in a mix of jazz, tango and Portuguese fado. Sunday, August 11, Ancestral Chamber Music and then Maurizio Colonna. Tuesday, August 13, we move on to the romantic nineteenth century with the homage to Luciano Pavarotti by Simona Todaro Pavarotti, granddaughter of the famous tenor, accompanied by the baritone Luis Santana and the pianist Josè Manuel Cuenca. The concert will be preceded by the performance of the pianist from Pescara Enrico Vallone. Wednesday, August 21 between rock and classical-lyrical with the Coro Beato Nunzio and Rocksanima. Thursday, August 22nd, a tribute to Andalusian tradition, first with Philippe Villa, Anastasia Maximkina with the dancer Anna Sinelshchikova, then with the Italian-Hispanic group of musicians and dancers Traveller Flamenco. Three concerts on Sunday, August 25th: first the two guitarists Fabio Macera and Roberto Fabbri, then the Antonio Carretta Trio with a repertoire of famous pieces, from Rossini and Bizet to Bacalov, Morricone and Piovani.
The event will close on Wednesday 28 August with the guitarist Daniele Falasca from Rosetta, followed by Maurizio Di Fulvio with the Brazilian Gahuer Carrasco and then by Ciro Carbone & the ensemble of the actress Diletta Masetti: together they will propose stories and music from the Neapolitan tradition.
