by InTrieste
The city’s vibrant musical heritage will take center stage on Thursday, April 24, as the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory Jazz Orchestra performs “Souvenir” at Teatro Miela. The concert, free and open to the public, is part of the broader cultural initiative Cambia la Musica. Il Mito di Trieste in Italia (“Change the Music. The Myth of Trieste in Italy”), produced by the cultural association Opera Viva and curated by Lorena Matic.
The Tartini Jazz Orchestra, formed in 2012 through an initiative by saxophonist and composer Klaus Gesing, has been under the direction of Maestro Mirco Rubegni since 2023. Today, the ensemble includes 29 young musicians, representing a new generation of jazz talent trained at Trieste’s prestigious conservatory.
The program draws on a rich repertoire spanning jazz and swing greats such as Duke Ellington and Cole Porter, as well as modern composers like Frank Foster and Benny Golson. The selection reflects the post-World War II influence of American music on Trieste’s cultural identity—an influence that reshaped the city’s daily rhythms and artistic voice.
In addition to the live music, the evening will include a preview screening of a short film, to be released in full in May, offering a glimpse into Trieste’s 1950s musical landscape. Actor Gualtiero Giorgini will also appear on stage, offering reflections on the cultural mythos of Trieste within Italy.
Running alongside the concert series is an exhibit at Casa della Musica (Via Capitelli 3), showcasing over 50 previously unpublished photographs from private archives that document the city’s musical scene during the 1950s. The exhibit remains open through May 17.
The Cambia la Musica project is supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government and aims to explore how music has historically shaped, and continues to define, Trieste’s unique position within the Italian cultural imagination.
