The Maestro Riccardo Muti will hold the first “Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in China”,

expecting art to become the bond of profound friendship between China and Italy

Official press release by Vancy Culture Beijing:

On April 3, 2024, numerous young musicians, conductors, singers, representatives of Chinese classical music, culture and art circles and major media gathered in the Cultural Office of the Italian Embassy in China, they were taking part in the press conference of the first “Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy - China” project, organised by the renowned Italian conductor Riccardo Muti, in Suzhou from November 23rd to December 3rd, 2024. This information is a huge news for both Chinese and Italian, and even the world’s, classical music circle.

In November 2024, the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy will fly to China for the first time. “Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy - China 2024” will be led by the Maestro who will personally teach and guide the Chinese symphony orchestra and the outstanding young conductors recruited around the world to complete the rehearsal and concert version of the opera. In this first collaboration, the Italian Opera Academy’s focus will be on Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana together with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra.

On the day of the conference, although Maestro Muti could not attend, he expressed his expectation of coming to China through video. He said: “I am honoured to be involved in the program of Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy - China 2024. China and Italy are both nations with thousands of years of great history and culture. The people from the two countries also share a profound traditional friendship. I, for example, have always liked Chinese traditional culture very much. At the same time, I am very grateful that the Chinese people are willing to understand and love the history and culture of Italy. Therefore, I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to come to China, to guide the rehearsal of a complete Italian opera, and to develop a closer bond between Chinese and Italians through artistic ties. I am glad to see that in recent years, classical music has become more and more important among Chinese audiences. I also see that many new concert halls and grand theatres have been built in China. It is a great honour being informed that the Chinese audiences got to know me and love me through the Vienna New Year Concert.”
Muti also mentioned his teacher, Antonino Votto, who was the assistant to Toscanini, the great Italian conductor of modern art. Working with Verdi, Arturo Toscanini passed on to Votto the insights and skills that he had inherited from the maestro, and Muti felt that he had an obligation to pass on this energy to young conductors. Finally, Maestro Muti expressed his wish to come to China as soon as possible, and hoped that music can be a bond that unites Chinese and Italian People!

At the press conference, Mr. Massimo Ambrosetti, the Italian ambassador to China, and Mr. Federico Antonelli, the Cultural Counselor, also made a warm speech and expressed their expectation and greetings for Maestro's visit to China.

The first “Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy - China 2024“ will collaborate with Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, which is invited by China Symphony Development Foundation and Vancy Culture (Beijing) Co., Ltd. It will consist of a one-week workshop at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, leading young conductors, personally selected through a global recruitment by a specially-made examination board, to rehearse the famous opera Cavalleria Rusticana with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. Muti himself will conduct Cavalleria Rusticana in concert form and then present the final concert performed by the young conductors as the closing event of the entire experience in Suzhou.

Chen Long, general manager of the Suzhou Cultural Investment and Development Group, the director of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, also gave a speech at the press conference. He said that culture and art are not only the soul of the city, but also a bridge connecting the world and the mind. Known as "Heaven on Earth," Suzhou is beautiful and prosperous because of water. Since ancient times, it has been a city with prosperous culture and art. The first "Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in China“ program choosing Suzhou, and cooperating closely with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, is not only a great affirmation of Suzhou's culture and art, but also an important promotion of Suzhou's cultural influence. "We will do our best to ensure the complete success of the event, so that Suzhou and the world can enhance understanding and improve consensus through music."

The “Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in China” project will start the recruitment of young conductors worldwide in the next weeks. In November, the maestro will come to China and start a 10 day teaching and performance trip at the Suzhou Jinji Lake Concert Hall. In order to let more fans in China and around the world see Muti’s style, the Maestro’s lectures are all open to the public, fans can attend the lectures and rehearsals upon purchasing the ticket(s).

Further detail to be announced soon.

Photos taken from the press conference held on April 3, 2024 at the Italian Embassy in Beijing