Bearing the title ’Music from the Future’, Contemporary Cello Week will be dedicated to diverse musical genres and multidisciplinary projects, to be held from 25 to 31 October in Turin

picture 1-from left to right, cellists Rohan De Saram, Elizabeth Wilson, Claudio Pasceri. Credit Giorgio Finali

Cellists Rohan De Saram, Elizabeth Wilson, Claudio Pasceri © Giorgio Finali

Explore the world of contemporary classical music through an extraordinary journey. EstOvest Festival is still exploring this field after more than 20 years of concerts and international guests. The 22nd edition will be held around Piedmont from 19 October to 5 November, in several prestigious and historical venues. The event, one of the most recognized in Italy, enjoys the honorary presidency of world-famous British musician Rohan De Saram and relies on the artistic direction of the renowned Italian cellist Claudio Pasceri.

The festival’s extensive history stands as a noteworthy characteristic, allowing it to consistently present fresh content and innovative formats to its audience each year. In 2021, EstOvest Festival introduced a unique initiative, a ’project within the project’ - the first international event in Italy exclusively devoted to contemporary cello repertoire, known as the Contemporary Cello Week. This year, the event is scheduled for 25 to 31 October in Turin. Over the past two editions, the Contemporary Cello Week has attracted participation from numerous globally acclaimed cellists and talented young musicians from around the world. They embarked on daring endeavors, venturing into unorthodox settings such as the National Cinema Museum of Turin, the UNESCO-designated Reggia di Venaria Reale, and the contemporary art hub, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Guarene.

The concept behind this initiative is to consistently evolve each year, as the essence of contemporary art lies in staying current and attentive, while always embracing diverse perspectives.

The 22nd EstOvest Festival proudly bears the title Music from the Future, symbolising its commitment to engaging young musicians and composers while exploring diverse musical genres and multidisciplinary projects through a harmonious musical invasion. Masterclasses, open rehearsals and concerts every day involve, among others, Anssi Karttunen in Focus Kaija Saariaho and collaborating on a project involving cello, video art, and live electronics alongside Finnish composer Antti Auvinen, aptly named Explosions of Beauty. Renaud Déjardin, soloist of Ensemble Intercontemporain, takes part in a unique Hommage to Rachmaninov, premiering a new piece for violin and cello composed by the extraordinarily talented Jaehyuck Choi from Korea.

picture 2-Annie Jacobs-Perkins. Credit Mark Manne

Cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins  will embark on a musical journey featuring compositions by Xenakis, Britten, and Azzan, coupled with choreography by three distinct Italian dancers © Mark Manne

Composer in residence Tak Cheung Hui presents two new musical compositions for cello and ensemble with live electronics. A chamber music concert featuring musicians from TimeArt Studio will exclusively showcase refined Taiwanese repertoire. American cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins will embark on a musical journey featuring compositions by Xenakis, Britten, and Azzan, coupled with choreography by three distinct Italian dancers. The Contemporary Cello Week 2023 concludes with Cello at the Time of Rostropovich. This event, led by renowned cellist and musicologist Elizabeth Wilson, will bring together winners of the Call for Young Cellist | EstOvest Festival and young talents from the Suzuki Talent Center’s Academy. Together, they will explore the repertoire of the great composers from the Soviet Union era.

Watch the world premiere performance of Remember for two cellos by Betsy Jolas. Performed by cellists Anssi Karttunen and Claudio Pasceri.

 Find out more here: https://estovestfestival.it/