Enjoying opera and classical music in stunning locations. It's the winning formula of Piccolo Opera Festival, settled in the Collio area near the border between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia, and running up to July 16. The theme for this year is “Risvegli”, “Awakenings”: «This “awakening” represents the will to turn the back on fear (due to Covid, ed.) and to focus on opera – said the festival's artistic director, Gabriele Ribis – Opera can be a strong, common language for the exciting opportunity given by Nova Gorica and Gorizia as European Capitals of Culture 2025. Piccolo Opera Festival is going to play a pivotal role in creating the cultural ecosystem we pledge to build as a permanent heritage for such event».
For its 16th edition, the festival will attract more and more opera lovers from throughout the Alps-Adriatic area and beyond. The variety of landscapes and the beauty of historic places transformed into exceptional settings offer a unique experience to visitors. Tailor-made productions of young and talented artists will satisfy even the most demanding experts of the opera. Plus, some events will feature local wines from Friuli Venezia Giulia's winemakers, thus matching live music with wine tastings. The festival kicked off on June 21 but there are still many events scheduled.
Piccolo Opera Festival 2023's programme
9 July – 9 pm at Castello di Spessa, in Capriva del Friuli (GO) Stelle in Castello “Castles of Stars” – Callas Gala
A concert featuring the most famous arias performed by late opera diva Maria Callas. During the gala, Italian actress Sonia Bergamasco will be awarded the Giacomo Casanova Prize, established by the Friends of Giacomo Casanova Association and given to individuals who play an important role in the arts, at the same time engaging in promoting freedom, tolerance and open-mindedness. Soloists: Elisa Verzier, Mojca Bitenc, Héloïse Koempgen. Piano: Eric Foster.
13 July – 6.30 pm at Rocca di Cormòns, + 8 pm at Chiesa della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, in Cormòns (GO) “Vocollio” by Mittelvox Ensemble
This vocal concert combines artists from both sides of the Italian-Slovene border. It will be paired with a glass of wine offered by Enoteca di Cormòns.
15 July – 6.30 pm at Santuario della regina dei Popoli + 8 pm at Azienda Agricola Russiz Superiore Mossa in Capriva del Friuli (GO) “Brass & Wine” by FVG Brass Quintet
FVG Brass Quintet is an instrumental ensemble from Friuli Venezia Giulia. Trumpet: Uroš Pavlovič, Giacomo Vendrame. Horn: Federico Lamba. Trombone: ErikŽerjal. Tuba: Rok Vilhar. It will be paired with a glass of wine offered by Azienda Agricola Russiz Superiore.
16 July – 6.30 pm at Piazza Vittoria (Vittoria Square) in Gorizia + 8 pm at Piazza Transalpina Gorizia – Nova Gorica GO! Borderless Orchestra – The Sound of Two Cities
A sustainable concert, with a surprise programme. The two cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica will get together fon a final, symbolic embrace. The GO! Borderless Orchestra is an international project featuring young Italian and Slovene instrumentalists, and it was born from a collaboration among the Lojze Bratuž Kulturni Centre, the Emil Komel Slovene Centre for Musical Education, Glasbeno društvo NOVA, Glasbena šola Nova Gorica, and the Little Opera Festival.
For its 16th edition, the festival will attract more and more opera lovers from throughout the Alps-Adriatic area and beyond. The variety of landscapes and the beauty of historic places transformed into exceptional settings offer a unique experience to visitors. Tailor-made productions of young and talented artists will satisfy even the most demanding experts of the opera. Plus, some events will feature local wines from Friuli Venezia Giulia's winemakers, thus matching live music with wine tastings. The festival kicked off on June 21 but there are still many events scheduled.
Piccolo Opera Festival 2023's programme
9 July – 9 pm at Castello di Spessa, in Capriva del Friuli (GO) Stelle in Castello “Castles of Stars” – Callas Gala
A concert featuring the most famous arias performed by late opera diva Maria Callas. During the gala, Italian actress Sonia Bergamasco will be awarded the Giacomo Casanova Prize, established by the Friends of Giacomo Casanova Association and given to individuals who play an important role in the arts, at the same time engaging in promoting freedom, tolerance and open-mindedness. Soloists: Elisa Verzier, Mojca Bitenc, Héloïse Koempgen. Piano: Eric Foster.
13 July – 6.30 pm at Rocca di Cormòns, + 8 pm at Chiesa della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, in Cormòns (GO) “Vocollio” by Mittelvox Ensemble
This vocal concert combines artists from both sides of the Italian-Slovene border. It will be paired with a glass of wine offered by Enoteca di Cormòns.
15 July – 6.30 pm at Santuario della regina dei Popoli + 8 pm at Azienda Agricola Russiz Superiore Mossa in Capriva del Friuli (GO) “Brass & Wine” by FVG Brass Quintet
FVG Brass Quintet is an instrumental ensemble from Friuli Venezia Giulia. Trumpet: Uroš Pavlovič, Giacomo Vendrame. Horn: Federico Lamba. Trombone: ErikŽerjal. Tuba: Rok Vilhar. It will be paired with a glass of wine offered by Azienda Agricola Russiz Superiore.
16 July – 6.30 pm at Piazza Vittoria (Vittoria Square) in Gorizia + 8 pm at Piazza Transalpina Gorizia – Nova Gorica GO! Borderless Orchestra – The Sound of Two Cities
A sustainable concert, with a surprise programme. The two cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica will get together fon a final, symbolic embrace. The GO! Borderless Orchestra is an international project featuring young Italian and Slovene instrumentalists, and it was born from a collaboration among the Lojze Bratuž Kulturni Centre, the Emil Komel Slovene Centre for Musical Education, Glasbeno društvo NOVA, Glasbena šola Nova Gorica, and the Little Opera Festival.
Guided tours & Talks
All events at the Piccolo Opera Festival 2023 will begin with an opening talk prior to the performance at the designated location. A musicologist and an expert of the ballet will present the story, the plot and the programme along with technical details and curiosities about the production. In some cases the artists themselves can be expected to participate. Plus, prior to the concert visitors will be able to join guided tours of all the castles involved, with the owner or with one of the guides from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Tourist Guide Association, founded in 1955 and partner of the festival.
About Piccolo Opera Festival
The Cultural Association of the Piccolo Festival of Friuli Venezia Giulia was founded in 2007 by a group of five musicians, in a bid to create new audiences and new professional musicians. The first event was a memorable opera concert to celebrate the fifty-year artistic careers of two great basses from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Bonaldo Giaoitti and Alfredo Mariotti, that very same year. The first edition of the Piccolo Festival was a mixed program of music, prose, dance and cinema and took place in 2008 in four municipalities near Udine, then went on becoming more and more international and finally focused only on opera.
Photo Credits: photos taken from Piccolo Opera Festival's official Facebook account
All events at the Piccolo Opera Festival 2023 will begin with an opening talk prior to the performance at the designated location. A musicologist and an expert of the ballet will present the story, the plot and the programme along with technical details and curiosities about the production. In some cases the artists themselves can be expected to participate. Plus, prior to the concert visitors will be able to join guided tours of all the castles involved, with the owner or with one of the guides from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Tourist Guide Association, founded in 1955 and partner of the festival.
About Piccolo Opera Festival
The Cultural Association of the Piccolo Festival of Friuli Venezia Giulia was founded in 2007 by a group of five musicians, in a bid to create new audiences and new professional musicians. The first event was a memorable opera concert to celebrate the fifty-year artistic careers of two great basses from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Bonaldo Giaoitti and Alfredo Mariotti, that very same year. The first edition of the Piccolo Festival was a mixed program of music, prose, dance and cinema and took place in 2008 in four municipalities near Udine, then went on becoming more and more international and finally focused only on opera.
Photo Credits: photos taken from Piccolo Opera Festival's official Facebook account
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