by InTrieste
This coming Friday, May 31, Trieste will host its very own “Music Day,” also known as Tartini Open Day, a celebration designed to immerse the public in the vibrant world of music education. Offering free lessons, open classrooms, and bustling departments, this event promises a pulsating agora of sounds and harmonies. It aims to invite everyone—young people, families, and music enthusiasts alike—into the heart of where music is born and nurtured each day.
Held at the esteemed Tartini Conservatory, this event underscores the institution’s commitment to innovation and excellence. As Sandro Torlontano, the Director of the Conservatory, proudly notes, “We are the first Higher Education Institution in the region to receive authorization from the Ministry for the implementation of the third level (EQF8) with a Master’s Course in piano. We produce around 200 public musical events annually in collaboration with local entities and associations. We are also among the top Conservatories in terms of Erasmus international projects and exchanges, with over 640 students enrolled in the last academic year, more than 70% of whom are in first and second-level academic courses, and about one-third are international students.”
Throughout the week leading up to the event, from May 27 to 31, the Conservatory offers trial lessons, which can be booked through its website, allowing prospective students to meet and interact with their potential instructors. However, the crescendo of the celebration is on the afternoon of the 31st. Starting at 2:30 PM, Palazzo Rittmeyer, the grand headquarters of the Conservatory at Via Ghega 12, will transform into a musical festival.
This open day offers an unparalleled opportunity to meet not just the faculty but also the young musicians who study at the Conservatory. Acting as guides, these students will lead a musical journey that spans from ancient to classical music, through jazz, and into contemporary and multimedia musical technologies. Attendees will have the chance to try out a variety of musical instruments, both familiar and obscure, and experience firsthand what it feels like to play them. This could even inspire some to take up learning an instrument themselves.
Adding a thematic flourish to the event, this year’s Tartini Open Day will focus on Pachelbel’s famous Canon. Sinead Nava, a faculty member and the curator of Tartini Open Day 2024, explains, “This year’s theme is Pachelbel’s Canon, a four-voice musical sequence ideal for educational purposes across all schools. On Friday, May 31, at Tartini, attendees will be able to ‘pick’ their part and, with the guidance of our young musicians, join in the performance of the Canon.” Each planned route within the Open Day will last approximately 75 minutes, with start times at 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM. Tours must be booked via the Conservatory’s website.
The Open Day itinerary includes a grand welcome with opera arias on the internal staircase of Palazzo Rittmeyer, followed by tours through the first-floor classrooms featuring presentations of various instruments and ensemble music spaces for wind instruments and harps. The journey continues to the Aula Magna, dedicated to chamber music, and the Tartini Room, a permanent museum space honoring the genius of Pirano, an illustrious violinist, composer, and teacher, after whom the Conservatory is named. A multimedia interlude will guide visitors to the ground floor to encounter the double bass quartet, jazz music groups, and new technology ensembles. The celebration culminates in a grand finale performance by the Conservatory’s Symphony Orchestra in the Tartini Hall. Throughout the event, the Academic Secretariat will be available for inquiries and further information.
For additional details and to book tours, visit the Conservatory’s website at conts.it.
