Amici della musica “A. Schmid”, a long story of passion for music in Lodi

It is not the first time for TYBO in Lodi, and it’s not even the first time that we collaborate with “Amici della Musica A. Schmid”, Lodi’s concert society. But this time is very special, because the concert of Theresia on 21st November will open the concert season 2015-2016 of “Amici della Musica”. It’s a big honor, so let us spend some words about the concert society that programs classical music in Lodi and its concert season.

It was 1953 when a group of friends and music lovers decided to start a regular concert season of chamber music in Lodi: World War II had ended since eight years, and sure problems for people were still overwhelming, but they had the purpose of offering citizens opportunities to listen to classical music concerts. In Italy at that time it was neither simple nor obvious to program chamber music concerts: the dominance of opera was still unchallenged. Concert society devoted to chamber and instrumental music were such a few, especially far from major cities. The eleven promoters were then quite daring: beneath them, there was Augusto Schmid, who for years was President of Amici della Musica and, in practice, the Artistic Director too.

The musical activity began on March 6, 1954 with a concert by the young pianist Enrica Cavallo, destined for a brilliant career especially in duo with her husband, the great violinist Franco Gulli. In the following years some of the greatest musicians of that time performed in Lodi: Nikita Magaloff, Alfred Cortot, Alexis Weissemberg, Paul Badura Skoda, Vasa Prihoda, Arthur Grumiaux, Ivry Gitlis, Teresa Berganza, Trieste Trio, La Salle and Amadeus Quartet.

Paolo Marcarini has been Artistic Director since 1972; the 15-16 concert seasons consists of eight concerts, mainly devoted to chamber music and to classic-romantic repertoire. After Theresia concert, the theater will host the italian pianist Maria Perrotta (8th December) who will play music by Mozart, Brahms, Schubert: the concert season will end on 8th May with piano recital of Roberto Plano. In the meantime, Lodi’s music lover may listen to Kiev Radio and Television Orchestra (10th January: conductor Volodymyr Sheiko, soloist the pianist Sabrina Lanzi); in 6th February clarinetist Alessandro Travaglini, violist Bruno Giuranna and pianist Bruno Canino perform trios by Mozart, Reinecke, Kurtag and Schumann. Virtuoso violinist Stephan Milenkovic will give a recital on 13th March, and in April jazz lovers will have their moment, with the concert by Mattia Cigalini and Andrea Pozza (Saxophone and piano).