Penultimate Night of Mozart Evenings Dazzles with Stunning Performances from World-Class Artists

A grand musical affair that not only celebrates the long-lasting legacy of Mozart but also captures the universal language of classical music and its ability to inspire people across generations and borders, Mozart Evenings, led by President Konstantin Ishkhanov and Artistic Director Giuliano Mazzoccante, is bringing the best of the legendary composer’s works to the heart of Abruzzo in Italy. Taking place from May 25 to June 4, 2025, in the historically charming surroundings of Chieti, this year marks the second edition of the event, featuring a host of esteemed artists from around the globe gathered together to celebrate the life and repertoire of the genius composer.

Mozart continued to cast his spell over Chieti on the fourth day of the festival as performers enraptured the audience with his timeless music, presenting a thrilling and atmospheric programme. On June 3 at 9pm, the penultimate concert of the series unfolded in the city’s renowned Teatro Marrucino, featuring the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, a highly professional ensemble regarded as one of the leading music collectives in the country, performing under the baton of Maestro Alibek Kabdurakhmanov, a celebrated composer and laureate of numerous international music competitions and festivals, such as the state award-medal “Shukhrat”, as well as state awards “Tasanno” and “Ekhtirom”.

“It’s a really great pleasure to be here, first of all”, Kabdurakhmanov said. “This theatre is such a historical place and for the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan to come here and play Mozart is amazing. I think all music starts from Mozart, he is such a classic, and it’s pure happiness for me to be here and play with such great, world-class soloists!”

Anvar Tajibaev, the General Director of the orchestra, echoed the conductor’s comments, remarking that “it’s a huge honour to see the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan performing at Mozart Evenings and collaborating with the best soloists in the world. It’s very important for us to witness this cultural exchange that is taking place between Uzbekistan and Italy. It’s not only valuable for one country, but for both of them, and culture is always the best language in which two different countries can speak, so I would like to thank Konstantin Ishkhanov for making all this happen, and for the long and fruitful relationship that the orchestra has enjoyed with him”.

The evening’s programme opened with Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, a captivating work brought to life by the ensemble in collaboration with Anna Tifu, the winner of the 2007 George Enescu Competition in Bucharest and one of the leading violinists of her generation. Speaking about the event, the soloist remarked that, “as everyone knows, Mozart is one of the major composers of all time, a true genius, and it’s always such a pleasure to play his music, especially because all his second movements are so angelic! Every time I have the chance to perform Mozart, I feel really lucky, because it's like I'm talking to God!”

“I've never been here in Chieti before”, the violinist continued. “It's my first time, and I was very surprised to see such a beautiful theatre and also such a beautiful city! Of course, in Italy we have a lot of great halls, but this is like a little jewel, and the acoustics are so good which is always very important for us.”

Following this came renowned flautist and 2017 New York Respighi Prize winner Tommaso Benciolini, with a radiant rendition of the Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major, a cornerstone of the instrument's repertoire, showcasing both virtuosity and expressive range.

“Performing Mozart is always a big challenge for every musician”, Benciolini said, “because of the clarity of his language and the clarity that you need in your technique in order to make this music come alive. It's always very special to play his works, especially this Flute Concerto No. 2 in particular, and it’s a very different experience to perform in a small and intimate theatre like the Teatro Marrucino. It's nice to have the feeling that the audience is much closer to you, and the atmosphere that gets created in this kind of space is really something really special.”

Together, these artists presented breathtaking compositions charged with emotions, passion and uninhibited power, with the music of Mozart naturally dominating the festival. The atmosphere of the entire evening was electric, with the historic theatre serving as a perfect backdrop, infused with as much elegance and history as the legacy of the prolific composer. Public interest remained high for the festival, as the arena was filled to capacity with an attentive array of local and international audiences.

With anticipation now building up for the closing night of Mozart Evenings, the maestros also took the time to express their admiration for the hard work and dedication that lie behind the event, as they praised the efforts undertaken by Konstantin Ishkhanov and Giuliano Mazzoccante, the two men who have spearheaded the project from its conception.

“What Mr Konstantin Ishkhanov and Maestro Giuliano Mazzoccante are doing here in Chieti is really valuable for this city and for this region”, Benciolini said. “They're bringing so many great artists from all over the world here in order to celebrate Mozart’s music, and I really think that the impact of this initiative on this city is going to be bigger and bigger every year.”

Tifu shared these sentiments, noting that “the work that Konstantin does is really amazing, because he gives so many opportunities to so many musicians, so it’s really an honour for me to be here and be part of all this”, while Kabdurakhmanov concurred, stating that “I would really like to thank the two great individuals who have organised this festival. Both Konstantin Ishkhanov and Giuliano Mazzoccante are two people who are truly supporting culture in this region and all around the world. They are always helpful, and it is such a great pleasure for us to be here, and to say a genuine thank you to them both!”