Space for cultural diversity, heterogeneity of musical styles and passion for a unique territory in the world, uncontaminated and far from any conforming stereotype: this is the philosophy of the Amiata Piano Festival, founded in 2005 in a small hall in Castel del Piano and today an invaluable appointment for art music enthusiasts who want to discover a less known part of Tuscany.
Two key points set from the beginning to make the Festival attractive, original and different from traditional summer proposals: on the one hand the abolition of barriers between musical genres, on the other the relationship of cultural understanding with the Bertarelli Foundation, face to show that entertainment and culture have to go hand in hand in order to create a historic memory of the territory.
Over the years, therefore, Amiata Piano Festival has developed with this aim of creating something individually recognizable. This has attracted an audience of all ages and geographical backgrounds – not just European, but from the five continents – eager to enjoy musical beauty in a landscaping context of incomparable charm.
The success that has been achieved step by step – with a steady increase in audience turnout and the acclaim of Italian and international music criticism – has allowed the staff of the Festival to raise its ambitions. Concerts that were previously hosted in the Musical Hall of the Podere San Giuseppe, then in the Collemassari Cellar, are now held in an ad hoc space: the Forum Bertarelli, an auditorium of surprisingly natural acoustics, capable of returning sound to its integrity without ever having to resort to amplifications or alterations in the physicality of instruments and voices. From chamber music to symphony, music here has found a place of rare perfection.
Today, the Amiata Piano Festival is divided ,between May and December, in fourteen appointments that, under my artistic direction and the responsibility for production of cellist Silvia Chiesa, a resident artist, cover a four-cent time-lapse of music history through paths of original listening involving soloists, ensembles and orchestras of international fame. I therefore invite you to discover our concerts, to experience a musical experience that I hope gives you unforgettable emotions.
Maurizio Baglini, artistic director and founder of the Amiata Piano Festival.