Mozart Evenings Final Day: Festival Concludes with a Breathtaking Night of Musical Splendour
A monumental tribute to the inimitable charm of Mozart's compositions, Mozart Evenings is a festival that has aimed to capture the energy of the prolific composer's iconic works, celebrating his roots, heritage and legacy. Helmed by President Konstantin Ishkhanov and Artistic Director Giuliano Mazzoccante, the festival took place from May 25 to June 4, 2025, bringing together a group of renowned maestros within the realm of classical music to perform some of the legendary composer's best-known works in the gorgeous surroundings of Chieti, one of Italy's premier historic and cultural destinations.
On June 4 at 9pm, the second edition of Mozart Evenings drew to a close with a dazzling final concert providing a unique and dynamic atmosphere that fully showcased the rich beauty of classical music. The unforgettable performance was headlined by a lineup of renowned artists from around the world, including Cyprien Katsaris (Greece), a globally-acclaimed pianist and the winner of the International Young Interpreters Rostrum-UNESCO (Bratislava 1977), International Cziffra Competition (Versailles 1974) and the 1972 Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Competition; and Karen Shahgaldyan (Armenia), a Laureate of the Pablo Sarasate International Competition, and member of the famed Khachaturian Trio.
“This festival is something very special”, Katsaris said. “I know a lot about many festivals in the world, but I never heard of such a festival, putting together these evenings with these concertos. It's very, very interesting, and I think it's necessary because we live in a society which is becoming more and more crazy with the risk of several wars, and our society needs something to make it feel a bit relieved; it needs great art, and when we play, if we succeed in helping people forget their daily worries and upsets, and we all get together spiritually at a higher level, then we have achieved something important. Even if it only lasts for two hours because it stays in the mind. So I would like to thank both Konstantin Ishkhanov and Giuliano Mazzoccante for having this great idea!”
Shahgaldyan agreed, remarking that “I want to thank Konstantin Ishkhanov and Giuliano Mazzoccante for this wonderful event, because you know, this idea to combine Mozart and Italy really works perfectly! Because Mozart is a sunny composer, phenomenally light, and joyful, and this is exactly what we usually think about Italy when we name this country. So I think it's a perfect match of composer and country, and a really brilliant initiative.”
For this occasion, the virtuosos performed alongside the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, a highly professional ensemble regarded as one of the leading music collectives in the country, who took to the stage of Chieti’s celebrated Teatro Marrucino under the baton of Luis Andrade (Portugal), widely considered as one of the most versatile conductors of our time.
“I'm a bit of a latecomer to Mozart's music”, Andrade said. “In my youth I always liked Romantic music but felt that Mozart was a bit too simple. It was a completely wrong idea of course, because his music is genius! He has humour, he changes the lines in the orchestra, and there is always a real excitement when one comes to play his music. So this initiative is a really great idea. He’s the perfect composer to initiate a project like this because the public know and like him, and the surroundings are just amazing!”
These performers transported the audience to a realm of classical music enchantment with their interpretations, presenting an exciting programme featuring the composer’s Piano Concerto K. 467, a work combining virtuosic brilliance with rich orchestral writing, and the Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K.218, an energetic piece written during Mozart's Salzburg years showcasing melodic and graceful charm. Praising the collaboration with the ensemble, Shahgaldyan said that “I'm very glad to collaborate with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan. I knew them before but never performed with them. It was our first experience and I'm really happy because it really went smoothly; the musicians were great, and Luis and I understood each other from the very first note, so it was a real joy for me to rehearse and perform with them.”
The Marrucino Theatre’s ambience added to the festival's appeal, creating a deeply immersive experience by conjuring up a magical soundworld that set Abruzzo ablaze with Mozart's iconic melodies. The venue was packed to absolute capacity, with music lovers and both local and international media attending to cover the event's offerings. Each piece presented was met with rapturous applause, once again turning Chieti into a living shrine to Mozart's genius, and concluding the five-day festival in glorious fashion.
“This theatre is inspiring”, Katsaris said. “It has something very very special, it’s so beautiful and it really helps us when we’re performing!”. Shahgaldyan echoed these comments, noting that “it's my second time in this theatre. The first time I was here with my colleagues from the Khachaturian Trio and we enjoyed it that time, and now I'm enjoying it again today. It's fantastic to play in such historical places, and they’ve got very good acoustics as well, so it's really something special to have this possibility”.
