Rovereto with mountains

Bravi to Neil, Ben, Jamie and Evan for finishing their pieces by 8:30 this morning!

After an otherwise slow morning, we all boarded three buses for a road trip to Rovereto, a beautiful city about 3.5 hours from Duino. We headed west towards Venice and then north, which took us through some beautiful mountain ranges, sprinkled with charming villages, each with its own castle (or so it seemed) and bell tower.

Once in Rovereto, we arrived at the Mozart Society, one of 24 scattered throughout Italy (the IMFA is co-sponsored by the Trieste chapter). We performed a concert of vocal and chamber music to an appreciative and excited audience of local music lovers, including several conductors, music teachers and performers. Before the concert began, several of us had some free time to explore the city, which reminded me, vaguely, of Aix-en-Provence, just in terms of the narrow, cobblestone streets, quaint shops, and generally happy disposition of the inhabitants. Ben and I found the contemporary art museum, a local landmark, and the old castle, which is now the site of a WWII museum.

After the concert, we were treated to a delicious pizza party at a local restaurant. At home, the term “pizza party” is often synonymous with unexciting, uninspiring, and unremarkable food. Not so in Italy. As anyone who has been here remarks, the pizza is often simple, but almost always very good.

Stefano and Giorgio at dinner

As a final treat, our local host took us to a landmark which explains the reason why the Rovereto Mozart Society is an important one in Italy–Rovereto was the first Italian city where a young, 13 year-old Mozart performed in 1769. He was already a celebrity by that time, and it was reported that when he appeared at St. Mark’s church to play the organ, he was mobbed with fans and well-wishers. I hope to come back and explore the city during IMFA 2014!

A winding street in Rovereto

A plaque on a building marking the place where Mozart first perfomed in Italy