PRESS

Press Relations: Roberto Valentino – r.valentino@elba-music.it

Portoferraio, september 27, 2024

28th Season of the International Festival

 “Elba Isola Musicale d’Europa”

Final Press Release

A positive outcome: + 20% audience, many young followers

The 28th edition of “Elba Isola Musicale d’Europa” ended a few weeks ago. One significant detail stands out: overall audience attendance increased by 20% compared to 2023. This is a fact that George Edelman, the Festival’s Artistic Director, emphasizes with clear satisfaction: “We are very happy with this important increase, we cannot deny it. I believe that among the reasons, besides the presence of great artists, there has been a diversification of our offer that attracted different audiences. We noticed many young people attending even the more chamber music oriented concerts held at the Teatro dei Vigilanti ‘Renato Cioni’ in Portoferraio, the main venue of the Festival, where we returned after it was refitted and found a particularly welcoming environment. The online ticket sales were significantly higher than in the past, compared to direct box office sales: this is also a sign that the Festival is attracting a new audience, drawn to our concerts and to share beautiful music.”

The extraordinary event on August 30 featuring Martha Argerich, a tribute to Claudio Abbado on the tenth anniversary of his passing, enjoyed great success, as indicated by the numerous pre-sale ticket requests. The famous Argentine pianist enchanted the audience with her undiminished mastery, first accompanied by violinist Liana Gourdjia and cellist Raphael Bell in Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 49, and later by the Elba Festival Orchestra in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15. Mario Brunello, during the final week of the Festival, also received the usual acclamation after performing solo at the Fortezza Pisana in Marciana, and the following day in Portoferraio with pianist Georgijs Osokins and violinist Michael Guttman. Notable mentions include the Elba Festival Prize, awarded to fifteen-year-old French pianist Arielle Beck, and the concerts by saxophonist Francesco Bearzatti, who presented a unique tribute to Led Zeppelin at the Villa Romana delle Grotte, and the Indaco Quartet, making their Elba debut, as well as concerts in Capoliveri, Rio, and Marciana Marina. The experience of the Elba Festival Orchestra, comprised of renowned concert musicians and young artists, proved to be important and valuable for its educational aspect: the orchestra was appreciated not only alongside Martha Argerich but also during the premiere of the Sinfonietta for orchestra by Colombian composer Arturo Cuéllar, who has been composer-in-residence at the Festival for the third consecutive year. Finally, the experiment of transforming the Chiostro of the Centro Culturale De Laugier into a jazz club in the evening proved successful: a different audience from the usual Festival-goers enthusiastically welcomed the engaging jazz manouche of violinist Tcha Limberger.

The 28th edition of “Elba Isola Musicale d’Europa” was made possible thanks to the support of: MiC – Ministry of Culture, the Region of Tuscany, the Municipality of Portoferraio, the Municipality of Capoliveri, the Municipality of Marciana, the Municipality of Marciana Marina, the Municipality of Rio, GAT (Associated Tourism Office of the Municipalities of Elba), the Livorno Foundation, and the Elba Hotel Association.