Biennale Musica 2020: A 'Proximity' Edition in Pandemic Times

The 2020 Biennale Musica in Venice, the last curated by Ivan Fedele, proved remarkably suited to the pandemic era despite being planned before COVID-19. Titled 'Incontri' (Encounters), it emphasized Italian composers and performers, supplemented by musicians from neighboring countries like Switzerland and Germany. The program honored Venetian 20th-century masters Bruno Maderna, Luigi Nono, and Franco Donatoni on their anniversaries, alongside Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th birthday celebrated with three piano concerts pairing his works with 20th-century pieces. Spanish composer Luis de Pablo won the Golden Lion, and French composer Raphaël Cendo the Silver Lion. Highlights included the Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento under Timothy Redmond performing Fabio Nieder's folk-inspired commission 'Z truhle mojej prababky' and Fabio Vacchi's neo-romantic violin concerto, plus Dai Fujikura's flute concerto evoking Japanese folk and bird song. The Ensemble Oktopus, led by Konstantia Gourzi, presented her Mediterranean-infused works alongside pieces by Marcello Filotei and Francesco Filidei. A dramatic protest by composer Adriano Guarnieri disrupted the Ensemble Interface concert, recalling historic controversies at the Venice institution.