With the boys and girls from the Backstage program

Behind every spotlight that turns on, there is an invisible world made of coordination, care, and heartbeats. It is here, within the walls of the Torri dell’Acqua, that the young participants of the Fondazione Entroterre ETS Backstage Project have learned to give shape to dreams: from the effort of technical organization to the magic of programming.

Today, that journey blossoms in Il respiro dell’ocarina – Lo spirito della musica, the final outcome that sees the participants move from “behind the scenes” into the spotlight. On stage, a duet of ocarinas and a solo voice will tell the story of a community coming together.

There is Greta’s emotion, who sought connection with others; Elisa’s passion, who has been playing the ocarina for seven years and now trembles slightly at her debut; and Pietro’s curiosity, who wanted to peek behind the secrets of the theatrical machine. Together with Imen and all the others, they invite the citizens of Budrio to join—a call to share an authentic moment of life, where every note is the breath of a new generation.

MUSICAL PROGRAM

Inno alla gioia
Magica Favola – Arisa
Always With Me – Joe Hisaishi
Gabriel’s Oboe – Ennio Morricone
Piazza Grande – Lucio Dalla

With the Ocarina Ensemble of the G.B. Martini Conservatory of Bologna
Special guest, Gent Hoxha multi-instrumentalist from Kosovo

followed by
screening of the documentary Ocarina of Runik

This event is born as a gesture of gratitude and reciprocity: a meeting that honors the invitation received from the Ocarina Ensemble of the G.B. Martini Conservatory of Bologna on the occasion of the event dedicated to the ocarina in Kosovo. Today, the Festival returns the hospitality, in turn hosting the sounds and traditions of that land.

The evening will open with a performance by the Ocarina Ensemble, followed by the special guest Gent Hoxha. A multi-instrumentalist of extraordinary talent, Hoxha will guide the audience in discovering ancestral instruments such as the Fyell (folk flute) and the Çiftelia (a two-string instrument), performing traditional songs that traverse the landscapes of Albania and Kosovo.

To crown the journey, the documentary “Ocarina of Runik” will be screened. The work celebrates the Neolithic prototype of our beloved wind instrument, discovered in the region, recounting its revival thanks to the dedication of master Shaqir Hoti. Through his work of study and reconstruction, the ocarina has returned to being a living symbol, capable of raising awareness among new generations about the importance of preserving a millenary cultural and spiritual heritage that unites us all.

With the presentation of the new album Økarine, from Økapi

The Festival invites the entire community to a special Aperiocarina: a moment of pure conviviality designed to break down the barriers between stage and audience. It will be the ideal opportunity to meet the merchants and the Oca Buskers of this edition up close, chatting in complete informality with ocarina players who have come to Budrio from all over the world. Between one toast and another, it will be possible to discover stories and secrets of this unique instrument, sharing ideas with the protagonists who animate the Festival streets in a welcoming and lively atmosphere.

The evening will then continue with an event of magnetic charm in the Sala Ottagonale, where listening will become the absolute protagonist thanks to the performance by Økapi. The artist will present live his new album Økarine, the sound score composed for the puppet theatre show “Isabella ambasciatrice di armonia”: a research work that reinterprets the sound of the ocarina through electronic visions.

It will be an evocative journey between ancient roots and experimentation, capable of transforming tradition into a modern and enveloping sonic narrative, perfect for concluding this experience of artistic sharing.

The work behind learning the ocarina is no different from that of any other instrument in the Italian tradition: it requires time, long practice, and, of course, dedication. And passion.

The same passion with which the young students of Emiliano Bernagozzi practice every day, and that today leads them to present the educational studies through which they continue to master the technicalities of the ocarina.

Great concerts always evoke powerful emotions, but equally moving is seeing where it all begins—the first exercises every ocarinist encounters on their educational journey, leading up to the creation of the most beautiful melodies.

After this, we are sure you will listen to every new performance with different ears.

The event

Lorenzo Nadalin, as known as Godblesscomputers, and Fabio Galliani, electronic music and the ocarina.

An unexpected encounter, but one filled with surprising harmonies, so much so that it embodies the spirit of the now iconic Ocarina Festival party.

Breaking all the rules and ignoring the limits that only exist in our minds: Godblesscomputers e Fabio Galliani, are once again ready to show how far you can go by simply opening yourself up to new possibilities.

A story of family, music and faith between Budrio and London

A special event, supported by the Evangelical Church Association “La Piazza,” celebrating the symbolic and historical significance of the ocarina for the Budrio community.

Pastor Ed. Mezzetti, the last descendant of a long line of ocarinists, will share a story that spans generations, family ties, and the passage of time. To brighten the evening, students from the “Vincenzino Grimaldi” Ocarina School will perform the Christian hymn “Amazing Grace.”

The event will conclude with a delightful picnic at the Budrio Community and Cultural Centre “La Magnolia.”

The event

The ocarina at the disco? Is it possible? We couldn’t resist the challenge.

After the concert by the GOB and BenTiVoglio Orchestra, the doors of the Consortium Theater will open to all festival guests for an unforgettable Saturday night.

DJ set with Farrapo DJ, and of course… a surprise awaits!

Simone Grassi and Francesco Coiro present the results of their research on the history and global spread of the ocarina: an adventurous and compelling story, written by two true sons of Budrio.

Summary

Born from a chance encounter with a Portuguese instrument maker during the 2019 International Festival, this research traces the ocarina’s journey in Portugal and Brazil, just a few years after its invention at the end of the 19th century. Following the European tour of the first ocarina group from Budrio, ‘I Montanari dell’Appennino’, which began in 1873, there was widespread interest in this new instrument abroad. Portugal was one of the countries most captivated by the ocarina, inspiring the creation of numerous ocarina groups across the country. Among them, the “Sociedade de Concertos de Ocarinas” became the most famous, reproducing the repertoire and costumes of the original Budrio septet. Its success was so great that it helped spread the ocarina craze overseas, to Brazil, where other groups were formed, influenced by Budrio and “filtered” through the Portuguese lens.

This study is the first to map the ocarina groups that emerged in Portugal and Brazil at the end of the 19th century. It has uncovered names of musicians, performances, and forgotten repertoires, shedding light on the innovation of these septets. As a result, the historiographical perspective on Budrio has been redefined.