Armonie del Mediterraneo – ENSEMBLE MEDITERRANEO DEL CONSERVATORIO “TITO SCHIPA” | ROTTE DEL MEDITERRANEO

7 June | Teatro Apollo
Via Salvatore Trinchese 13–14 | Lecce
Curtain up: 8.30 p.m.

ENSEMBLE MEDITERRANEO DEL CONSERVATORIO “TITO SCHIPA”

ROTTE DEL MEDITERRANEO

Ensemble arrangements and coordination: Christian Bevilacqua, PhD candidate at the "Tito Schipa" Conservatoire of Music, Lecce

Curated by the "Tito Schipa" Conservatoire of Music, Lecce

Free admission, subject to available seating.

About the concert

The "Tito Schipa" Conservatoire of Music, Lecce, under the presidency of Luigi Puzzovio and the direction of Giuseppe Spedicati, takes part in the Armonie del Mediterraneo – Viaggi, Miti e Ritorni Festival with ROTTE DEL MEDITERRANEO, a concert taking place on Sunday 7 June at 8.30 p.m. at Teatro Apollo in Lecce.

Promoted by the Euro-Mediterranean Cultural Heritage Agency in collaboration with the Municipality of Lecce, the Festival is supported by the Italian Ministry of Tourism through the National Tourism Fund (FUNT) under the project Armonie del Mediterraneo – Viaggi, Miti e Ritorni (Project Code CUP F89I25002020001).

A musical voyage across the Mediterranean

ROTTE DEL MEDITERRANEO invites audiences on a musical voyage through the many identities of the Mare Nostrum. The programme unfolds as a rich musical landscape in which folk traditions, Mediterranean sounds, contemporary grooves and global rhythms come together in a single artistic narrative.

The repertoire follows an open route through the music of the Mediterranean, moving from the Southern Italian wind band tradition and local folk heritage to Neapolitan musical influences, before embracing the sounds of the Balkans and African musical traditions. It is a journey shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, where every destination becomes an opportunity for dialogue, discovery and transformation.

Research brought to the stage

The concert reflects the research undertaken within the AFAM Doctoral Programme, Civiltà musicale del Mezzogiorno d'Italia, ponte del Mediterraneo: ricerca e repertori, translating academic research into a live artistic experience.

Within this context, ROTTE DEL MEDITERRANEO, with arrangements and artistic coordination by doctoral researcher Christian Bevilacqua, becomes more than a concert: it is a space for artistic experimentation and for the celebration of the musical traditions that connect the shores of the Mediterranean, bringing together oral heritage, ethnomusicological research and contemporary musical expression.

Narration and performers

Guiding the audience throughout the performance is actress Patrizia Miggiano, whose narration accompanies each stage of the musical journey, weaving together words, evocative imagery and reflections that illuminate the human and cultural significance of the Mediterranean routes.

Among the featured performers is Samuel Mele, an ethnomusicology student at the "Tito Schipa" Conservatoire of Music, Lecce, composer of many of the works performed during the evening and performer on the oud, ney, guitar and other plucked string instruments from across the Mediterranean. His artistic research combines traditional musical practices with a contemporary sensibility, perfectly reflecting the spirit of the programme.

The Ensemble

The Ensemble Mediterraneo del Conservatorio "Tito Schipa" brings together members of the Conservatoire's academic staff, students and guest musicians.

The ensemble includes a wind section (trumpet, trombone and two saxophones), guitar, bass guitar, piano, drums and vocals, alongside traditional microtonal instruments from the Mediterranean region—including oud and saz—and frame percussion such as daff, riqq and tamburello.

The performers are:

• Christian Bevilacqua – trombone
• Alessandro Casciaro – keyboards
• Francesco Denaro – Cretan lyra
• Marco Ghezzo – violin
• Marco Girardo – drums
• Andrea Giurgola – electric guitar
• Samuel Mele – oud and vocals
• Antonio Pellegrino – tenor saxophone
• Sergio Pizza – percussion
• Emanuele Raganato – soprano saxophone
• Matteo Resta – bass guitar

The concert forms part of the programme of Armonie del Mediterraneo – Viaggi, Miti e Ritorni, conceived and promoted by the Euro-Mediterranean Cultural Heritage Agency, in collaboration with the Municipality of Lecce, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Tourism through the National Tourism Fund (FUNT) – 2025 Current Expenditure Programme (Project Code CUP F89I25002020001).