by InTrieste
Trieste’s summer festival, known as Trieste Estate, will light up the city from August 5th to 11th with a diverse array of events culminating in the highly anticipated “Concert at Dawn” on Molo Audace. This year’s highlight features the acclaimed pianist and composer Sonia Cugini, known for her interpretations of Ravel, Debussy, and Prokofiev.
The festival promises an eclectic program, showcasing something for every taste. The lineup includes a “Disney Musical” evening, tributes to Nat King Cole, Fabrizio De André, and Mina, and a performance of tango music. Noteworthy also are the Magazzino Commerciale with Radio Company taking the stage in Piazza Verdi, and the prosaic theater performances “Povero Nostro Franz,” dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph, and “The Sovereign Reader,” inspired by Queen Elizabeth II.
Music and Performances
The week kicks off with a musical tribute on August 6th, as tribute bands pay homage to Fabrizio De André in Piazza Verdi. The show, “Innamorarsi (di Fabrizio),” delves into the romantic relationship between De André and Dori Ghezzi. On August 8th, the same venue will host young European musicians from the European Symphony Orchestra (ESYO) for a special concert celebrating the orchestra’s 30th anniversary.
Operetta enthusiasts can look forward to “La Contessa Mariza” at Teatro Verdi on August 10th and 11th. The piece blends Austro-Hungarian culture with Hungarian folk music, celebrating a century since its debut. Concurrently, the Sartorio Garden will be the setting for “Unforgettable – Tribute to Nat King Cole,” featuring Swing eXcetera.
The festival’s grand finale on August 11th will begin at 4:50 AM with the “Concert at Dawn.” Molo Audace will be transformed into a pink-hued haven for Sonia Cugini’s performance. The Sartorio Garden will offer a tribute to Mina with Myriam Cosotti, while Piazza Verdi will present “Tango sa pensare Estate 2024,” featuring Astor Piazzolla’s music performed by the Quartetto Contemporaneo and Argentine tango dancers.
Theater Highlights
Theater lovers can enjoy a series of prose performances in the Sartorio Museum Garden. The program opens on August 5th with “Povero Nostro Franz,” a musical tribute to Emperor Franz Joseph, followed by “The Sovereign Reader” on August 6th, a theatrical piece about Queen Elizabeth II, written by Alan Bennett.
On August 7th, the “Festil – Summer Festival of the Coast” resumes with “Most: lo sguardo oltre il ponte_disegnare intersezioni fuori dai bordi,” a theatrical performance by Angelo Floramo based on Nobel laureate Ivo Andric’s novel. On August 10th, the festival will feature the first scenic representation of “Il letterato Vincenzo,” Umberto Saba’s only play, directed and performed by Raffaele Sincovich.
The preceding week saw a notable concert on August 3rd in Piazza Verdi with students from “The Academy,” an intensive musical theater course founded by internationally renowned performers Ramin Karimloo and Earl Carpenter.
Cinema and Culture
The outdoor cinema series continues at the Giardino Pubblico de Tommasini, featuring popular films such as “Kung Fu Panda 4” (August 6th), “Oppenheimer” (August 10th), and the award-winning “C’è ancora domani” by and with Paola Cortellesi (August 11th). The schedule also includes critically acclaimed films like “Cattiverie a domicilio – Wicked Little Letters” (August 7th) and “Il gusto delle cose. La passion de Dodin Bouffant” by Trần Anh Hùng (August 9th).
On August 6th, the Winckelmann Museum will host “Pietre testimoni di storia,” the first in a series of evening archaeological events dedicated to the museum’s history and heritage.
Fuoricentro Festival
The “Trieste Estate Fuoricentro” series, bringing high-quality performances to various city districts, begins on August 9th with a concert by the local rock and blues band TSO in Altura. On August 10th, comedian Paolo Rossi will perform his one-man show “Come un tavolo in un bar di periferia” in Piazza Puecher, San Giacomo. The evening will also feature a Joycean-inspired performance, “I lestrigoni: divagazioni sul tema, tra fame e poesia.”
The festival concludes on August 11th with art and theater workshops in Campo San Giacomo, culminating in an evening of African dance and rhythms by Tega-Tega Afrobič and a concert by the Salerno quintet C’Ammafunk.
Trieste Estate is organized by the Municipality of Trieste’s Department of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with the Departments of Education and Family Policies, and Territorial Policies, with support from PromoTurismoFVG and the Trieste Convention & Visitors Bureau. Artistic direction is provided by Gabriele Centis for music and Lino Marrazzo for prose theater. For more information, visit www.triestestate.it.
