L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio
Encyclopedia
L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio is a well-known Italian
multi-ethnic orchestra that was created in Rome
in 2002. It is also the subject of a 2006 film of the same name that was reviewed in the New York Times.
, also known as Piazza Vittorio. This Piazza inspired musician Mario Tronco, of the Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel, and filmmaker Agostino Ferrente to reunite some of these extraordinary performers, each one unique in origin, instrument, and musical experience, in a group, or better an orchestra, that plays and reinvents music from all over the world with an energy that audiences take away with them after each concert.
The project was carried out through Apollo 11, a community organization founded in 2001 by Tronco, Ferrente, and other artists and volunteers with the goal of rescuing the Apollo, a vintage movie theater from being turned into a bingo hall.
The documentary L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio (2006) by Agostino Ferrente tells the story of this very unusual musical ensemble. The movie has since been successfully screened at many international festivals, including the Locarno International Film Festival
in Switzerland
and the Tribeca Film Festival
in New York
. In Italy it is distributed by Luckyred, and has won several awards such as the Nastro d'Argento and the Globo D’Oro as best documentary, both in 2007. Netflix is the US distributor of the movie that is also been released in many other countries around the world.
L’Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio has played over 300 concerts in the five continents, often after the screening of Ferrente’s movie, a format referred to as cineconcerto (film + concert).
The Orchestra has recorded 3 albums: the first (self-titled) has received the "German Record Critics' Award" in 2005 in the World Music section, and the last one, which is due out soon, is being co-produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin
.
In the summer of 2009, l'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio will tour Europe with their rendition of Mozart’s The Magic Flute
, which will debut in Lyon
.
^= former members
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
multi-ethnic orchestra that was created in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 2002. It is also the subject of a 2006 film of the same name that was reviewed in the New York Times.
History
The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio begins in the Esquilino neighborhood in Rome. This colorful and largely populated by immigrants area of Rome revolves around a square that is a hub for various cultures, sounds and musicians from all corners of the world: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele IIPiazza Vittorio Emanuele II (Rome)
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, also known as Piazza Vittorio, is a piazza in Rome, in the Esquilino rione. It is served by the Vittorio Emanuele Metro station....
, also known as Piazza Vittorio. This Piazza inspired musician Mario Tronco, of the Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel, and filmmaker Agostino Ferrente to reunite some of these extraordinary performers, each one unique in origin, instrument, and musical experience, in a group, or better an orchestra, that plays and reinvents music from all over the world with an energy that audiences take away with them after each concert.
The project was carried out through Apollo 11, a community organization founded in 2001 by Tronco, Ferrente, and other artists and volunteers with the goal of rescuing the Apollo, a vintage movie theater from being turned into a bingo hall.
The documentary L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio (2006) by Agostino Ferrente tells the story of this very unusual musical ensemble. The movie has since been successfully screened at many international festivals, including the Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In Italy it is distributed by Luckyred, and has won several awards such as the Nastro d'Argento and the Globo D’Oro as best documentary, both in 2007. Netflix is the US distributor of the movie that is also been released in many other countries around the world.
L’Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio has played over 300 concerts in the five continents, often after the screening of Ferrente’s movie, a format referred to as cineconcerto (film + concert).
The Orchestra has recorded 3 albums: the first (self-titled) has received the "German Record Critics' Award" in 2005 in the World Music section, and the last one, which is due out soon, is being co-produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
.
In the summer of 2009, l'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio will tour Europe with their rendition of Mozart’s The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
, which will debut in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
.
Orchestra members
- Houcine Ataa – Tunisia - vocals
- Peppe D’Argenzio – Italy- sax, bass clarinet
- Evandro Cesar Dos Reis – Brazil - vocals, classical and electric guitar, cavaquinho
- Omar Lopez Valle – Cuba - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Awalys Ernesto “El Kiri” Lopez Maturell – Cuba - drums, congas, hands, feet, background vocals
- John Maida - United States - violin
- Eszter Nagypal – Hungary - cello
- Gaia Orsoni – Italy - viola
- Carlos Paz – Ecuador - vocals, Andean flutes
- Pino Pecorelli – Italy - double bass, electric bass
- Raul “Cuervo” Scebba – Argentina - marimba, glockenspiel, congas, percussions, background vocals
- El Hadji “Pap” Yeri Samb – Senegal - vocals, djembe, dumdum, sabar, shaker
- “Kaw” Dialy Mady Sissoko – Senegal - vocals, kora, feet
- Giuseppe Smaldino - Italy - French horn
- Ziad Trabelsi – Tunisia - oudOudThe oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
, vocals - Mario Tronco – Italy - Artistic Director - Fender Rhodes
- Mohammed Bilal^ – India - harmonium, castanets
- Amrit Hussain^ – India - tabla
^= former members