The 2025 Festival Musicale Italo-Cinese and the Concorso Internazionale di Esecuzione Musicale "Turandot" have successfully concluded

From July 28 to August 6, 2025, the Festival Musicale Italo-Cinese and the Concorso Internazionale di Esecuzione Musicale "Turandot" were successfully concluded at the Conservatorio statale di musica di Brescia "Luca Marenzio" in Italy. The festival was jointly organized by the Associazione Internazionale per lo Sviluppo della Musica e dell'Arte (AISMA), the Progetto Giovani Talenti Italo-Cinesi Office, and the Conservatorio statale di musica di Brescia "Luca Marenzio", with strong support from the China Education Federation of The Arts Overseas Education Center, Uni-Italia, and the world-renowned piano manufacturer FAZIOLI.

On the evening of July 28, the opening ceremony of the Festival Musicale Italo-Cinese was grandly held in the Salone da Cemmo concert hall of the Conservatory. The festival's Artistic Director, Alberto Baldrighi, President and Piano Professor of the Brescia Conservatory, first extended a warm welcome to all participants, expressing his hope that they would perform to their fullest potential and achieve excellent results. He thanked the main organizer, the Progetto Giovani Talenti Italo-Cinesi Office, for its years of dedicated work as a bridge for Sino-Italian musical and artistic exchange and for promoting institutional cooperation between the two countries. He hoped the participants would enhance their professional skills, immerse themselves in Italian culture and history, and welcomed them to pursue further studies in Italy.

Professor Zhang Zhe from the China Conservatory of Music, head of the "Progetto Giovani Talenti Italo-Cinesi" and Deputy Director of the China Education Federation of The Arts Overseas Education Center, expressed his special gratitude to the Brescia Conservatory for its invaluable support. He reflected on the continuous deepening of cooperation since the partnership was established in 2018, including the productive visit last year by the Vice President of the China Conservatory of Music. For this festival, he expressed his hope that the participants would gain a profound experience of the essence of Italian music education, its historical heritage, and humanistic spirit.

Professor Zhang Wei, Chair of the Piano Department at the China Conservatory of Music and President of the competition jury, expressed his honor in participating in and chairing the jury. He stated that the long-planned festival aimed to bring teachers and students to the birthplace of the Renaissance for academic exchange and professional development, emphasizing the significant value of Italy's profound historical and cultural legacy. He noted that the festival had arranged solo recitals for two outstanding winners—a rare and valuable opportunity. As a judge, he hoped all participants would achieve breakthroughs in their professional capabilities during the competition.

Professor Chen Shuhua from the College of Arts at Xiamen University, a Chinese judge for the competition, expressed his great honor in participating. He remarked that Italy, as a world-renowned center for music and art, offers participants precious learning opportunities through its longstanding educational traditions and historical depth. He concluded by thanking all colleagues who contributed to the success of the festival.

The competition jury consisted of 12 authoritative Chinese and international pianists, including seven Italian piano professors from the Brescia Conservatory, the Conservatorio statale di musica di Gallarate (VA) "Giacomo Puccini", and the Conservatorio statale di musica di Mantova "Lucio Campiani", as well as five renowned Chinese piano professors: Zhang Wei, Zhu Di, Chen Shenggang, Chen Shuhua, and Dai Shuangrong.

The festival's piano masterclasses lasted for seven days. Participants received one-on-one instruction from seven Italian pianists. Through their masterful demonstrations, in-depth analysis of piano repertoire, and vivid, inspiring commentary, the professors significantly broadened the participants' musical perspectives and enhanced their understanding and expressive abilities.

On the afternoon of July 30, the renowned Italian opera conductor, recipient of the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and Professor of Artistic Direction at the Brescia Conservatory, Pierangelo Pelucchi, delivered an academic lecture titled "The Evolution of the Italian Musical Terminology System in the Piano Field and Its Correct Interpretation." The lecture systematically analyzed the relationship between the origins of Italian musical terminology and the evolution of instruments, interpreting the correct meanings of musical terms in works from different historical periods. Following the lecture, Chinese and international faculty and students engaged in a thorough exchange with Professor Pelucchi, offering high praise for the lecture's academic rigor.

The festival featured four concerts.  The concerts attracted a large local Italian audience, who highly praised the participants' professional performance standards.

On the evening of July 29, participants attended a modern jazz concert held at Castello di Padernello as part of the Brescia Music Festival. On the afternoons of July 31 and August 1, they undertook in-depth visits to the Brescia Museum and the Teatro Grande di Brescia (Brescia Opera House).

After concluding the activities in Brescia, the participants officially began their Italian cultural exploration tour, visiting the renowned cities of Milan, Verona, Venice, Florence, Siena, and Rome.

On the evening of August 1, participants attended a performance of the classic opera Aidaby Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi at the Arena di Verona. Built in the 1st century AD, the Arena di Verona is one of the world's best-preserved ancient Roman amphitheaters and has been an international opera venue since 1913. This immersive experience allowed participants to directly appreciate the charm of Italian opera.

During the festival, Professor Zhang Zhe and his delegation were invited by Mr. Luca Fazioli, head of the Italian piano brand FAZIOLI, to visit the FAZIOLI piano factory for discussions. Mr. Luca Fazioli congratulated the organizers on the successful holding of the "Turandot Cup" International Piano Competition. He highly praised the exceptional professional standard demonstrated by the Chinese participants and affirmed the competition's influence. He announced that FAZIOLI would officially become one of the organizers of the next "Turandot Cup" International Piano Competition, committing to providing competition pianos, prize money for winners, and potentially signing outstanding winners as FAZIOLI Artists. At the factory, Mr. Luca Fazioli personally explained the core processes of piano manufacturing to the delegation. Professor Zhang Wei performed on the first piano ever produced by FAZIOLI.

On August 6, the Festival Musicale Italo-Cinese and the Concorso Internazionale di Esecuzione Musicale "Turandot" concluded successfully in Rome. Through participation in an international piano competition, in-depth guidance from masterclasses, and various cultural activities, the participants significantly improved their comprehension and expressiveness in piano performance. They also broadened their international artistic horizons and deepened their understanding of Italian culture and its historical heritage.