Last night, the members of the ensemble “Mare Nostrum” brought the musical Baroque, one of the most significant epochs in the development of musical art, to “Ohrid Summer.” As part of the festival’s traditional Italian evening, they performed under the baton of maestro Andrea De Carlo.
Soprano Giulia Bolcato, countertenor Danilo Pastore, baritone Masashi Tomosugi, and tenor Angelo Testori took the stage, captivating the audience with their vocal prowess. The audience also enjoyed the masterful performances of Margherita Burattini on the harp, Giulio Falcioni on the theorbo, Thomas Cigion on the cello, Serena Segatini on the viola da gamba, and Amleto Mateucci on the double bass.
The “Ohrid Summer” festival organizes the Italian evening with the support of the Italian Embassy in North Macedonia and the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade. Ambassador Andrea Silvestri, who has inaugurated the Italian evening at “Ohrid Summer” for the fourth consecutive year, remarked in the enchanting Byzantine ambiance of the church “St. Sophia” that this might be his last speech at the festival as the Italian ambassador. However, he assured that he would cherish the memories and the magical moments experienced at “Ohrid Summer.”
“I am proud to have contributed alongside my Embassy to the concerts of many renowned Italian artists. Tonight, this tradition of excellence will continue, thanks to the efforts of the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade. We will have the pleasure of enjoying the performance of the unique Italian ensemble ‘Mare Nostrum’ under the direction of maestro Andrea De Carlo. The ‘Mare Nostrum’ ensemble is one of the most original and surprising Baroque ensembles, already a reference for Roman Baroque music, especially the works of the great composer Alessandro Stradella,” emphasized Ambassador Silvestri.
Founded in Rome by conductor and artistic director Andrea De Carlo, the “Mare Nostrum” ensemble is regarded as one of the most original and surprising Baroque ensembles, dedicated to performing “old” music with a particular affinity for Italian composers, especially the operas of Alessandro Stradella.
