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SIENA CATHEDRAL CHOIR “GUIDO CHIGI SARACINI”
Director: Lorenzo Donati
The Choir of the Siena Cathedral “Guido Chigi Saracini” was formed in 2016 thanks to the auspicious collaboration between the Accademia Musicale Chigiana and the Opera della Metropolitana di Siena.
Comprised of a variable number of choristers coming from all over Italy, the ensemble unites active service to the liturgy with high level concert performances, exemplifying its double faceted name as both Choir of the Siena Cathedral, and choir dedicated to Count Chigi Saracini, founder of the Sienese academy which bears his name. Each year, the choir performs a vast repertoire that embraces the most beautiful and heartfelt pages of the sacred choral tradition in the context of the liturgical celebration held in the Siena Cathedral. Alongside this commitment the choir performs internationally in concert, with the aim of spreading and enhancing choral production in Italy and abroad.
The choir has been the protagonist of countless prestigious concerts, both a cappella and with an orchestra, ranging from Missa Brevis by Palestrina to Berliner Messe by Pärt, from Lux aeterna by Ligeti to Spem in alium by Tallis to Stimmung by Stockhausen and Nuits by Xenakis. The vocal group has performed many world premiere operas, including Seven Prayers by Tigran Mansurian with the ORT- Orchestra della Toscana for the celebrations of the Millenary of San Miniato al Monte in 2018; and Sei Studi sull’Inferno di Dante (Six Studies on Dante’s Inferno) for countertenor, choir and orchestra by Giovanni Sollima, performed on June 10th in the context of the Ravenna Festival 2021 under the direction of Kristjan Järvi. From 2021, the Umbrian Music Festival of Perugia invited the Choir of the Cathedral of Siena “Guido Chigi Saracini” to be the choir in residence for the International Competition for the Composition of a work of sacred music, Premio “Francesco Siciliani”.
The Choir of the Siena Cathedral “Guido Chigi Saracini” is directed by Lorenzo Donati, a name of international excellence, who was also former student at Chigiana in the composition course.
CHIGIANA PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
The Chigiana Percussion Ensemble, directed by Antonio Caggiano, was launched in 2015 as the ensemble in residence within the context of the Chigiana Summer Academy percussion course. The course and ensemble aim to promote the professional and artistic growth of young percussionists. Formed by the best students of the course, the ensemble debuted in 2015 performing the complete version of Steve Reich’s Drumming. The work was presented on 4 August 2015 in Siena as part of the 1st edition of the Chigiana International Festival and Summer Academy; at the Ravello Festival; at the MAXXI Museum in Rome; and on 11 June 2019, in the context of the project Le 100 percussioni organized in collaboration with Ravenna Festival. Each year the ensemble’s activity expands becoming enriched with new repertoire, unprecedented collaborations and concert opportunities on a national level.
TABULA RASA – CHIGIANA SIENA JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Director: Stefano Battaglia
Auditions will be held from 17 to 21 October 2022 and from 7 to 14 November 2022
deadline to apply: 24 October
note: there is NO application fee
The project “Tabula Rasa. Chigiana-Siena Jazz Ensemble” was created out of the desire to form an ensemble in residence that united the experience of new musical languages of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana with those of Siena Jazz University in the field of improvisation.
The ensemble follows the launch of courses in the “New Sounds” section in the Chigiana Summer Academy and is in line with the twenty-year tradition of workshops on improvisation techniques held by Stefano Battaglia at Siena Jazz.
In 2019, the two institutions merged paths to create a stable performative ensemble, combining the best talents who have trained within the courses of these Sienese centers for excellence in musical training and specialisation.
As with any ambitious cultural project, the ensemble aims to unite knowledge, break down the boundaries between genres, styles, and consolidated practices from a contemporary perspective without denying the possible coexistence of innovative developments that are linked with the musical tradition.
The ensemble, directed by Stefano Battaglia and comprised of eleven variable structure elements, made its debut during the Chigiana International Festival 2019, and has already begun a path on the international concert stage.
Auditions are held in the Autumn of each year (a motivational interview and a performative audition lasting a maximum of 15 min.) to integrate applicants into and / or form a new ensemble.
The musicians admitted to the project “Tabula Rasa. Chigiana – Siena Jazz Ensemble” must participate in subsequent training meetings to be held in Siena with Maestro Stefano Battaglia, concluding with a final concert of the ensemble, inserted within the program of the Micat in Vertice concert season 2022/2023.
Travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed for those taking part in the project meetings.
Each season will be optimally documented by an audio / video archive to form a concrete memory of each original production.
CHIGIANA KEYBOARD ENSEMBLE
Founded in 2021, the Chigiana Keyboard Ensemble carries out its artistic activity in the context of the Chigiana International Festival & Summer Academy, which combines training and performance in an effective and innovative synthesis. It is an ensemble in residence for multiple pianos, coordinated by Luigi Pecchia and composed of the Maestri collaborating pianists of the advanced-level courses of the Summer Academy: Roberto Arosio, Monaldo Braconi, Monica Cattarossi, Francesco De Poli, Pierluigi Di Tella, Alessandra Gentile, Stefania Redaelli, Danilo Tarso and Tamami Toda Schwarz.
SIENA CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Directors: Raffaele Puccianti and Claudia Morelli
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana and the Higher Institute of Musical Studies (ISSM) “Rinaldo Franci”, have decided to share their experience in music education aimed at the youngest talents. For this reason the Chigiana Children’s Choir (CH3) and the White Voice Choir of the ISSM “R. Franci” have united to become one for the city.
Thus the SICH –Siena Children’s Choir was born. Intended for girls and boys aged 8 to 16, the choir teaches children to sing in the right way, and to read musical scores while having fun in a group. The choir is given the opportunity to perform in concerts and operas, taking part in important reviews and events, and sharing their musical experience with that of other young musicians.
