'Cantiere Internazionale d’arte' in Montepulciano 2019

Everything is ready for the 44th edition of the great artistic and cultural event

From 11 July 2019 to 28 July 2019

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From 11 to 28 July, Cantiere Internazionale d'arte is once again staged in Montepulciano, a cultural and artistic event that will light up the wonderful Valdichiana village with symphonic concerts, chamber music, operas, theater, dance and many other performances. The festival, now in its 44th edition, will mainly take place in Piazza Grande in Montepulciano but will also be featured in several locations around Siena. The main purpose of this event is to bring together established and emerging artists so as to create, just like in a real cantiere d’arte, a synergy where there are no more teachers and students and instead experience and creativity come together.

How and when was the Cantiere internazionale d'arte in Montepulciano started? It is the brainchild of Hans Werner Henze, one of the greatest composers of the 1900s who was behind the first edition in 1976. His idea was to spur knowledge and professionalism and to compare experiences from Europe and beyond. All this augmented by the additional aim not only to create a dialogue between artists but also support social interactions. In fact, according to the words of the founder himself: ‘Montepulciano is not a commercial festival, it is about political, social and cultural animation’. The management and running of the event is the responsibility of the Fondazione Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte di Montepulciano established in 2005 as a joint act between the municipality and the Province of Siena. The foundation supports learning initiatives and the production of operas, concerts, multimedia performances and dance during the two weeks of the event as well as throughout the year. The Teatro Poliziano di Montepulciano is managed by the Foundation and has a long calendar of events in winter. The Music Institute, founded in 1720 and since 2003 named after Hans Wernser Henze is also under the management of the Fondazione Cantiere of Montepulciano. It is attended by more than 1000 students from all over the area and enlists 31 teachers!

CANTIERE ARTE 2019 PROGRAM

The 44th Cantiere internazionale d'arte is dedicated to the theme of 'Love, Passion and Foolishness' and is under the artistic direction of Roland Böer, a conductor who has worked in the best theatres, and Giovanni Oliva, an experienced organizer of music and theatre shows. The festival will feature 45 events that will also be held in other towns in Valdichiana such as Cetona, Chianciano Terme, San Casciano dei Bagni, Sarteano, Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena and Trequanda. A succession of concerts, operas, musicals, theater and dance for a prestigious, thought provoking and exciting program. Below we will give you a few hints but for the complete list of Montepulciano events as well as in other locations just take a look at the complete program on the webpage of Montepulciano Cantiere.

So, what will be the special features of the Cantiere d’arte Montepulciano in 2019? One of the most anticipated events in Montepulciano is with no doubt the musical ‘Passion’ by Stephen Sondheim. Directed by Keith Warren, it has collected many awards and is showcased in Italy for the first time with an international cast of 14 singers with Janie Dee, winner of the Olivier Award for best actress, starring in the role of the main protagonist. In Montepulciano opera will be showcased in two evenings of Cantiere Arte 2019 at the Teatro Poliziano with a diptych by Claudio Monteverdi and Cluadio Ambrosioni: 'The Combat of Tancredi and Clorinda' by the former and 'Tancredi appresso al combattimento' by the latter. Opera lovers will not miss the chance to be delighted by the voices of the sopranos Eva Mei and Laura Polverelli on stage with solo singing and duets from works such as Norma, Tancredi, Così fan tutte, Anna Bolena and Capuleti. In short, at Montepulciano Cantiere opera this year is going to deliver some really juicy events.

As for symphonic concerts it is worth pointing out those at the splendid setting of the Tempio Rinascimental with A-list artists such as tenor Aldo Caputo and baritone Roberto de Candia, conductor György Ráth and the great violinist Ariadne Daskalakis. The grand finale is a must-see event under the stars in Montepulciano’s Piazza Grande: Roland Böer will in fact conduct the closing concert entirely dedicated to love with songs by Berlioz, Čajkovskij, Mozart and Bernstein. The innovative soul of the Montepulciano Cantiere d’arte is revealed in 'Midsummer Night's Dreams' a new project where theater, dance and symphonic music for a large orchestra will be juxtaposed and merged in a one-of-a-kind show. On stage, under the direction of Carlo Pasquini, two dance companies, the Ecole di Ballet of Maria Stella Poggioni and the Petite Ecole of Crestina Peruzzi, soprano Noemi Umani and mezzo-soprano Zhu Axue. Theatre at Cantiere Arte Montepulciano 2019 will showcase an engaging monologue focused on the letters of George Sand to Fryderik Chopin: a captivating performance of music and words for a really evocative stage production.

As it is by now evident, Montepulciano Cantiere d'arte 2019 offers a really packed and varied program, the events we have pointed out are just some examples but if you really want to make the best of the spirit of this event, you should take a good look at the programma of Cantiere arte 2019. Some evenings feature multiple events! Since most events are held after dinner, in the rest of the day you could take the opportunity to discover the surroundings of Montepulciano, in Tuscany one of the most beautiful areas. How about, for example, our 'Private tour in the heart of Val D’Orcia?

Well, save the dates of Cantiere Internazionale d'arte 2019, from July 12 to 28, choose the concerts in Montepulciano and the other shows you are interested in, buy the tickets directly from the website of the event and you're done!