Filippo Arlia and Tchaikovsky Conservatory Perform at Italy Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka

From September 16 to 19, 2025, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Nocera Terinese, led by maestro Filippo Arlia, performed at the Italy Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka. The program included classical, opera, and world music, highlighting southern Italy and Calabria. The symphony orchestra, directed by Giuseppe Blefari, opened with "Quadri d'opera," featuring lesser-known opera arias and concluding with "Libiamo" from La Traviata. The Loccisano Piccioni Duo (Francesco Loccisano on battente guitar, Andrea Piccioni on frame drums) performed world music from the album Upgrade. Filippo Arlia's Duettango project, with Cesare Chiacchiaretta on bandoneon, played Astor Piazzolla's repertoire. For the first time, Piazzolla's original bandoneon, donated by Laura Escalada Piazzolla, was used. Arlia noted Piazzolla's Italian heritage as fitting for the event. The Italy Pavilion, designed by Mario Cucinella, is built of wood and sustainable materials, and connects to Sou Fujimoto's The Gran Ring, a 2 km wooden ring symbolizing "Unity in Diversity." Arlia, who will transition from piano to orchestra conducting on October 1, emphasized the conservatory's mission to engage youth. The conservatory was one of four selected in Italy for Expo 2025. Arlia's new vinyl record, produced in Italy and manufactured in Japan using pigment-free technology for improved sound quality, was released in conjunction with the performances.