The perfect finale for the 2024 Ocarina Festival. Emiliano Bernagozzi’s pupils, The GOB Soloists and one of the best ocarina orchestra in the East: the CTS Ocarina Orchestra

Music program

Emiliano Bernagozzi‘s pupils
– Samuele Mantovani – “Prelude and Allemande” from the Concert for Oboe by Arcangelo Corelli
– Alice Blundo – Irish folk song “The Dark island”
– Valentina Gnudi – “French Dance” of Marin Marais
– Alice Soverini – “Latin” of Daniel Hellbach
– Leonardo Carbone – “Gavotta e Giga” from the Concert for Oboe by Arcangelo Corelli
– Giovanni Gherardi – “Il gallo e la gallina” by Giampiero Lucchini

The GOB Soloists
Emiliano Bernagozzi, Fabio Galliani: ocarinas
Matteo Forlani: piano

– “Tarantella napoletana” (Neapolitan Tarantella) Traditional
– “Cinema Paradiso” by E. Morricone
– “Rumba” by M. McLean
– “Yeah” by D. Hellbach
– “Flusso fantastico” by M. Forlani
– “Libertango” by A. Piazzolla

CTS Ocarina Orchestra
– ”Hallelujah” from Messiah by George F. Händel
– “Holo Arirang” traditional Korean song
– You raise me up by Josh Gorban
– Make this faith even stronger

Budrio like you’ve never seen it before: a fully themed ocarina tour.

The journey begins at the Diapason Association, winds through the city’s streets and squares, and culminates with a guided visit to the Ocarina Museum. Along the way, you’ll discover the history and evolution of the instrument, and have the unique opportunity to meet Edward Mezzetti, great-grandson of Alberto Mezzetti, one of the pioneers behind the creation of the first ocarina.

With Edward, we’ll retrace the professional journeys of Alberto and Ercole Mezzetti, from 1870 to their later emigrations to London and Paris.

The tour will conclude with a duo performance: Federica Taglioli and Cristian Paolini, a teacher at the “Vincenzino Grimaldi” Ocarina School, will perform a selection of pieces ranging from traditional ocarina music (including a song by Cesare Testi) to classical works (Mozart, Verdi, Gluck) and iconic movie soundtracks (Piovani, Morricone).

At the Gala Concert of the International Ocarina Festival, the masters will meet the students

GOB – Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese

The 10-hole ocarina was invented in 1853 by Giuseppe Donati, a native of Budrio. After creating five ocarinas of different sizes, the first ensemble was formed in 1863. This group later expanded to seven members, and from that point, it began performing in some of Europe’s most renowned theaters, presenting original compositions as well as arrangements of famous operatic works. This was the Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese (G.O.B.).

The current G.O.B. has preserved the musical heritage of the Budrio ocarina groups, focusing particularly on those from the 1920s and 1930s led by Alfredo Barattoni. The original ensemble, created at the Budrio Ocarina School, was later joined by classical musicians. Over the years, the unmistakable pastoral sound of the ocarina ensemble has been complemented by more classical instruments, creating a repertoire for one or two ocarinas. In their concerts, the G.O.B. Soloists perform pieces where the ocarina is accompanied by piano, string quartet, or baroque orchestra.

The G.O.B. has been active for many years, performing over 1,000 concerts both in Italy and abroad. The group has released numerous CDs and DVDs. Some of their major tours include: Australia (1987, 1996, 2000), Cuba (1989), Argentina (1990), Chile (1990, 1999), Venezuela (1991), the USA (1994), South Korea (2010, 2012, 2014), China (2014, with a concert at the prestigious National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing), and Japan (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), as well as various performances across Europe.

Recently, the G.O.B. has been featured on Radio3 (2014), RSI (Swiss Radio, 2014), and WDR (Germany, 2015). In 2019, they performed at the Ravello Festival, and in 2020, at the Macerata Sferisterio for Musicultura. Their sixth tour of Japan is planned for August 2024.

Music program

G. Rossini – Figaro Cavatina from Barber of Seville
G. Verdi – Triumphal March from Aida
AA VV – Napolincanto
A. Piazzolla – Piazzolla Suite
E. Morricone – Cinema Paradiso
D. Bruneck – Take Five
J. Hisaishi – Ghibli Suite

BenTIVoglio Youth Orchestra

The Youth Symphony Orchestra was founded from the extensive experience of the “Il Temporale” Music School and the “Musica da Camera” International Festival at Bentivoglio Castle.

The orchestra formation workshop, led by Emiliano Bernagozzi, involves students from the “Il Temporale” Music School and is open to all young people studying music.

Today, the Youth Orchestra consists of 40 members aged 13 and over. In 2016, it won the International “Rossini” Competition in Pesaro. The orchestra has also toured the Czech Republic in 2016 and Irpinia in 2017, with the tour culminating in a performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria at the Royal Palace of Caserta.

Music program

Corelli / Barbirolli – Oboe and Orchestra concert arr. for ocarina and bows by Emiliano Bernagozzi
Prelude-Allemande-Sarabande-Gavotta-Giga,
Solo ocarina Giulio Boccaletti

Antonio Vivaldi – Concert in A-minor RV462 arr. for ocarina and orchestra by Emiliano Bernagozzi
Allegro-Adagio-Allegro
Solo ocarina Emiliano Bernagozzi

Daniel Hellbach – Koncert for Ocarina
Allegro-Andante-Vivo
Solo ocarina Ayako Yamada (Winner of Ocarina Rave Competition in 2023)

A concert that blends the tradition of ocarina with the rhythms of jazz. Special Guest Federico Califano with his saxophone, accompanied by the ocarinists Cristian Paolini and Giovanni Gherardi.

Admission with Arci, ArciGay, UISP membership card.
You can buy it directly on site or online by clicking here, for 10€.

The event

In this unique workshop, Kurt Posch will share his passion for crafting ocarinas—”a fascinating and intriguing instrument”—with the audience.

Self-taught, he quickly began creating concert-quality ocarinas with a rich sound, perfect tuning, and balanced intonation. All the ocarinas in the quintet with which he plays Tonpfiff, and which will perform at the Ocarithon, are crafted by him.

As a self-taught maker, Kurt has always been eager to share his work and collaborate with other craftsmen worldwide. His dedication to sharing his knowledge comes from a desire to spread the charm of the ocarina to others.

The workshop will be conducted in English and will last approximately one hour.

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.

The event

On the second day of Ocarithon, the Torri dell’Acqua will host the continuation of the conversation that began the previous day, featuring soloists and ensembles, each with their unique origins. Five distinct musical traditions and languages will intertwine both on and off stage.

Five countries, five musical traditions, and five perspectives: barriers that the ocarina helps break down, uniting them in a single performance.

Admission is free, and you are welcome to come and go at any time. Performances begin at 10:30 AM and last approximately 30 minutes.

Schedule

FIRST ROUND (start at 10.30 A.M.)
Ahn Dawoon
Tonpfiff quintet
Fabio Galliani and Cantaluna

SECOND ROUND (start at 3.30 P.M.)
Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese, in quartet
Ro Seung-jin
Carpanelli-Figoni duo
Michele Carnevali and Francesco Cimatti

Break > 5.30 P.M.

Stefan Christiansen
Futari duo (Gabriele Monachesi – Felix Lampe)
Ocarina Ensemble of Budrio

The event

Irish music is both dance and tradition: the common repertoire brings people together, even strangers, to dance and sing. Irish music is fluid, traditionally learned by ear, and often varies from musician to musician.

In this workshop, led by Robert Hickman, you will learn how to adapt Irish music to the ocarina, understand the different types of melodies (Polkas, Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels) and learn how to embellish them with various finger articulations and ornaments as taught in the tradition.

The ocarina is an unusual instrument, but is ideal for Irish music as it offers musical nuances that are not easily achievable on the tin whistle or simple flute.

This is a fully participatory workshop: teaching will be mainly by ear, with sheet music available to give the ‘bones’ of the music. The pieces will be adapted to a single by Alto C ocarina.
The lab will be conducted in English and will last approximately two hours.

Robert Hickman

Robert Hickman began playing Irish songs and folk music on the ocarina in 2011. He adapted his style to the tin whistle technique, and has been performing regularly ever since.
He wrote the book “Serious Ocarina Player”.
As a maker, he has created instruments designed to meet the needs of Irish music, with a minimal breath curve, and a timbre and volume balanced across their range

The event

Irish music is both dance and tradition: the common repertoire brings people together, even strangers, to dance and sing. Irish music is fluid, traditionally learned by ear, and often varies from musician to musician.

In this workshop, led by Robert Hickman, you will learn how to adapt Irish music to the ocarina, understand the different types of melodies (Polkas, Jigs, Hornpipes and Reels) and learn how to embellish them with various finger articulations and ornaments as taught in the tradition.

The ocarina is an unusual instrument, but is ideal for Irish music as it offers musical nuances that are not easily achievable on the tin whistle or simple flute.

This is a fully participatory workshop: teaching will be mainly by ear, with sheet music available to give the ‘bones’ of the music. The pieces will be adapted to a single by Alto C ocarina.
The lab will be conducted in English and will last approximately two hours.

Robert Hickman

Robert Hickman began playing Irish songs and folk music on the ocarina in 2011. He adapted his style to the tin whistle technique, and has been performing regularly ever since.
He wrote the book “Serious Ocarina Player”.
As a maker, he has created instruments designed to meet the needs of Irish music, with a minimal breath curve, and a timbre and volume balanced across their range

In case of sold out, the workshop will be repeated on April 14.