Some 120,000 came to the festival's concerts
Classical music, the piazza, historic courtyards and skyscraper.
A successful blend, a happy combination in which, for six days from 12 to 17 July, concerts were performed by grand orchestras on an open-air stage with a backdrop provided by baroque buildings. Considering the numbers attending, the audience very much appreciated the programme of the 2016 Torino Classical Music Festival which presented opera and classical music beneath the stars.
An appreciation proven by the 120,000 people (an approximate figure referring to the entire festival) of all ages: plenty of youngsters and children who came with their parents and grandparents, to watch Madame Butterfly – a Japanese tragedy in two acts – presented for the inauguration on 12 July by the Orchestra and Choir of Regio Theatre – and the concerts by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Juraj Valcuha and the Torino Philharmonic Orchestra led byGiampaolo Pretto.
All seats were taken for the Musica alle Corti events with performances by young musicians from Italy and abroad, and for the concert of Vivaldi's Four Seasonsby the Academia Montis Regalis, hosted in the auditorium of the Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper.
The closing show on Sunday 17 July ended with a tribute to music seen as a sign of sharing, peace and hope for the future and the younger generations. Giampaolo Pretto invited an 8 year old child on stage to join him in conducting the orchestra, a symbolic presence to mark the festival's intention to address the young both as audience and as musicians involved. This has been the aim of TCMF since its first year, bringing young (sometimes very young) artists, often of world renown, onto the various stages.
For instance, again on the last night, the theme of the 2016 festival – the musical bridge between East and West – was recreated by two young musicians: Suyoen Kim, a German violinist of Korean origins and Chloe Mun, a Korean pianist, winner of the 2015 Busoni Competition.
A wonderful free event for the people that they have taken to their hearts, the Torino Classical Music Festival encourages the genuine participation of devotees and also a public perhaps new to the exceptional heritage of art music.
If this was the goal, then it has been a resounding success.