MiTo classical music festival unites Milan, Turin

(ANSA) - Milan, August 25 - The MiTo classical music festival, a 19-day event joining Milan and Turin featuring 140 concerts, is set to kick off on September 9 under the theme "nature".
    There will be four open-air concerts as part of the festival (two in Turin and two in Milan), the first a night of "open singing" where the audience can take part in the event, and the second titled "Kids Do The Ninth in Piazza", a rendition of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Italian Youth Orchestra, the Maghini Choir, and Tuscany Orchestra conductor Daniele Rustioni at the helm.
    The outdoor concerts in Piazza San Carlo on September 9 and 10 follow on the heels of a tragedy on June 3 in the square, when one person died and more than 1,500 people were injured during a stampede of fans who were there to watch Juventus in the Champions League final.
    When they heard loud noises similar to gun shots, they mistakenly took them as the sign of a terror attack; panic ensued, resulting in the stampede.
    Italian media have speculated that the noises were likely due to loud firecrackers.
    "Continuing to gather in the squares seems a strong gesture to me, an important one," said MiTo artistic director Nicola Campogrande. "I call on everyone to come out to the square, not only to defend our culture but also because it makes you feel better," he said.
    At this year's festival there will be 115 living composers represented, with 10 Italian premieres, seven worldwide premieres, and four pieces composed especially for the festival.
    This is also the second year that each concert will have a four-minute introduction read by an actor and that there will be a sort of simultaneous "mini festival" for children.
    Half of the concerts are free or low-cost, with a maximum ticket price of 30 euros - a far cry from the 450 euros being charged at this year's Salzburg Festival for Verdi's "Aida" conducted by Riccardo Muti.
    In the meantime, Campogrande said he is already working together with MiTo president Anna Gastel on next year's festival, which has the full support of Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and Turin Mayor Chiara Appendino.