A New Orchestra for Ferrara

Written by  Claudio Abbado
The Mahler Chamber Orchestra comes to Ferrara.
The generation of important projects in the cultural sector, the extraordinary exhibitions organized by Palazzo dei Diamanti, the architectonic restructuring of a city whose historical importance is such that Unesco has listed it as a part of the world's artistic heritage, all combine to make Ferrara a model city in terms of cultural investment.

My relationship with Ferrara began in 1989, when the town council, thanks to contributions from the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara - subsequently replaced by the Foundation of the same name - set up Ferrara Musica and offered me an opportunity to return to conducting on a regular basis in Italy.

A great many projects have been realized in the musical field: from The Voyage to Rheims to The Marriage of Figaro, from The Barber of Seville to the Don Juan staged in the January of this year.
Ferrara Musica will see an important innovation this year. The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the resident orchestra in Ferrara since the beginning of Ferrara Musica, is to be succeeded by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra: a new ensemble of young musicians from fifteen European countries and drawn from the most talented members of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.

This orchestra will make its debut in Ferrara. The Ferrara residency will provide the Mahler Chamber Orchestra with a stable base and thus allow it to mature by working regularly in Italy. In this way Ferrara Musica will keep faith with its commitment to training, by continuing to serve as a workshop for the honing of classical music skills and by helping to make room for a youthful orchestra that I am convinced is destined to enjoy extraordinary success in the coming years.

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Published in Num. 7
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