Bolzano

Music has since the late 19th century been the language of encounters between the different cultures inhabiting this borderland. The Monteverdi Conservatory has contributed to the city’s reputation for musical excellence: Bolzano is home to the Busoni Piano Competition, since 1949 recognised as one of the most prestigious international competitions. The residencies of the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the Gustav Mahler Academy for advanced students – all projects initiated by Maestro Claudio Abbado – enliven summer in Bolzano. Bolzano is also home to the Haydn Orchestra, established in 1960 as a regional reference point for musical listening and education. The Konzertverein, founded in 1855, is still offering an excellent chamber music program. The city hosts international festivals in various creative fields each year: the Bolzano Film Festival, featuring the works of young European directors; the Südtirol Jazzfestival; Bolzano Danza, a reference point for contemporary dance; Transart, a festival of music, contemporary art and experimentation; and the food festivals that celebrate the meeting of two cuisines, namely genuine mountain cookery and the more refined Mediterranean approach.

Cultural associations, choirs and folk music bands enliven the city’s cultural everyday life.

The designation reaffirms the work that Bolzano has been doing for many years in the fields of music and culture, offering the opportunity to create new local/international collaborations and to share knowledge, experiences within the network in all sectors.

Bolzano’s proposed projects intend to focus on culture as a strategic factor for sustainable development:

• to make the city more inclusive via the power of music as a tool for dialogue between generations and for involving the new citizens in our border region;
• to increase the involvement of younger audiences, offering creativity in general as an opportunity for personal and professional growth;
• to use digital technology to keep abreast of the times and, with other international entities, to share the vast potential offered by new technologies for the access to and use of music;
• to foster and contribute to the growth of a world where inequalities can be further reduced.

We’re convinced that music is able to break down the boundaries of individuals, tuning emotions on a common channel and teaching us every day to listen to each other. Music is the language that can lead to a mature, just and sustainable social dimension. Music can unite peoples in common feelings under the sign of peace.

Photo credits:
Main image: Become Ocean – Orchestra Haydn Orchester – Transart16 © Transart – Photo: Gregor Khuen Belasi
Slider images: EUYO, 2014 Vasily Petrenko© BolzanoFestivalBozen Photo: Gregor Khuen Belasi | Carmens Souza, Ella, 2023 Auditorium Bolzano Bozen