A two-part event curated by Carlo Aonzo and designed to engage a broad audience while also offering professionals a masterclass with one of the world’s leading ambassadors of the Italian classical mandolin!
SEPARATE REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED (links below)
IMPORTANT: If either part reaches full capacity, you may still request to be added to the waiting list by emailing iiclavalletta@esteri.it. Any places that become available will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with one place assigned per email received.
Part One*
From 10am to 12pm, a free workshop on traditional and classical mandolin repertoire. Participants may join either as performers (with their own instrument) or as auditors.
This masterclass is also highly beneficial for violin and viola students, as these instruments share the same tuning and fingering as the mandolin.
The session will also explore career paths and professional opportunities for young mandolin players, with a focus on emerging artists and their use of social media.
After all, the mandolin is an incredibly versatile instrument, suited to a wide range of musical styles – from classical music to the rock of Jimi Hendrix.
Part Two*
At 6pm, a lecture based on original iconographic materials from private research. The selected images and detailed analysis of the instruments depicted reflect an in-depth study aimed at highlighting the close connection between musical practice and artistic representation.
This visual journey traces the technical and aesthetic evolution of the mandolin in European paintings from the Middle Ages through the late 18th century. Through a close analysis of these works, we’ll see how the mandolin was not only a musical instrument, but also a powerful cultural and social symbol. By bringing together often fragmented visual evidence, the lecture reconstructs a cohesive picture of the instrument’s development.
The journey begins with its medieval and Renaissance roots, where precursor instruments such as the mandola and soprano lute appear in the hands of musical angels in works by Paolo Veneziano and Beato Angelico. It continues into the golden age of the 18th century, when the mandolin reached peak popularity and formal refinement, revealing its many facets – from the aristocratic and mythological scenes in Giambattista Tiepolo’s airy compositions to the intimate, everyday Venetian life portrayed by Pietro Longhi.
*Both parts of the event will be held in English.