‘Amici della Musica’s’ Creative Concerts 2025

The second half of the highly-anticipated Amici della Musica (Friends of Music) chamber music season kicks off this month and will run until mid-April. Audiences can look forward to a fantastic array of performances, styles, and distinguished guest artists at concert venues including Teatro della Pergola, Teatro Niccolini and the Murate Art District on via Ghibellina.

The next several months will feature a number of cycles dedicated to a specific instrument and a wide variety of styles and influences, rather than one single theme or concept  There will be a wide variety of styles for every taste, from electronic to classical to sounds from antiquity.

Here is a preview of upcoming concerts.

Solo Piano

Some of the most esteemed pianists in the world will be on stage.

January 18: Known for her expressive talent, pianist Anna Vinnitskaya makes her return to Teatro della Pergola, after a hugely successful recital in 2023, to interpret pieces by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann and Widmann and Carnaval, a musical rendition of Italy’s festive Carnival season gatherings.  Vinnistkaya has won prestigious awards (including the Queen Elisabeth Competition) and has performed with major orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

February 8: Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes returns two years after his last concert in Florence with the 24 preludes op. 28 by Chopin (1832), a highly original concept of 24 short original pieces that constitute a unity.

March 1: debut of pianist Anna Fedorova.  Mentored by Sir András Schiff, Fedorova is a regular at prestigious concert venues such as the Carnegie and Royal Albert Halls in addition to Lincoln Center.

March 15: French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzer, regarded internationally as one of Ravel’s greatest interpreters, provide a rendition of music exclusively by Ravel. 

March 22 & April 5 will herald the respectively arrivals of acclaimed soloists Marie-Ange Nguci and Yulianna Avdeeva respectively.  Winner of the International Chopin Competition, Nguci will focus on that composer, with renditions of two nocturnes, Marzukas (op. 30) and the Grand Polonaise Brillante (op. 22) as well as Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor.

Avdeeva will offer an eclectic program spanning the 18th to the 20th centuries, from Bach, Beethoven and Liszt to Ravel, Busoni and Prokofiev.

A special event will be held on March 30, by one of Italy’s most esteemed piano duos, Michele Campanella and Monica Leone. The two pianists will give a rendition piano version of the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig Van Beethoven, arranged by Franz Liszt. 

Chamber Groups

January 25: One of the most eclectic and publicly acclaimed names this season is that of Giovanni Sollima, an internationally renowned cellist and is the most performed living Italian composer in the world.  He is also known for his eclectic projects, including playing on an ice cello or organizing a symphony of 100 cellos on stage.

Sollima will be partnering with the esteemed mandolinist Avi Avital (Grammy award nominee), vocalist and drummer Alessia Tondo, and guitarist & theorbo player Giuseppe Copie. Their program will include compositions by Sollima and his father Eliodoro Sollimi, with ancient dance music from Italy and Macedonia, plus traditional Sephardic songs.

String Quartets

February 1: The Hagen Quartet makes its return, performing Haydn and Schumann. 

March 8: The Belcea String Quartet will give their rendition, characterized by both passion and precision, of Schonberg and Beethoven.

April 6: The Goldmund Quartet will play Finzi, Haydn and Greig.

Portraits

The Portraits cycle is dedicated to contemporary music, featuring interpretations of many active composers.  Artists are given carte blanche to construct a contemporary chamber music program based on classical inspirations.

February 2: Daniele Ghisi will be accompanied by Francesco Dillon on the cello, Emanuele Torquati on the piano, and Roberta Vacca, focusing on Ghisi’s electronic music, with evident influences of works by Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann also on the program.

March 9: Pianista and composer Roberta Vacca will be in the spotlight, with her pieces alternating with those of Bach, Beethoven, Castelnuovo Tedesco and Schumann, interpreted by Rosaria Angotti (soprano), Alessandro Mastracci (cello), and Laura Sebastiani (piano).

Music &

This cycle is dedicated to artistic contaminations, which combine the art of sounds with environmental sustainability, science, history, figurative art, and cinema. 

March 16: The Teatri 35 Company, a leader in the creation of theatrical performances of tableaux vivants (silent scenes or representations set to music) will collaborate with the soloists of the Vittorio Calamani Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Massimo Mercelli on flute. This show investigates the works of artists Michelangelo and Raphael, in relation to Johann Sebastian Bach’s Musical Offering BWV 1079.

Other Events

February 9: A performance by Micrologus will explore the characteristics of ancient 15th century Neapolitan music written during the city’s Spanish domination by the House of Aragon. The group comprises seven musicians: three singers and other performing on the flute, viola, viol, harp, lute and percussion.  (Evelyn Sen)