Lucia Ronchetti's First Biennale Musica Focuses on Voice in Choruses
Directed by Lucia Ronchetti, the 2021 Venice Biennale Musica centered on the theme of Choruses, highlighting the voice. Concerts took place at notable locations such as Basilica di San Marco and Teatro La Fenice. The Golden Lion was awarded to Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, while the Silver Lion went to the Neue Vocalsolisten ensemble. Noteworthy performances included those by Cappella Marciana and works by Manuel Hidalgo Navas, Maria Vincenza Cabizza, and Luca Francesconi presented by the Neue Vocalsolisten. The EVO Ensemble showcased compositions from Jennifer Walshe, Peter Ablinger, and Claude Vivier. Walshe's 2017 piece, Is it cool to try hard now?, merged high and pop culture. Accentus premiered Saariaho's Reconnaissance and concluded with Bussotti's All'Italia. Marta Gentilucci's Moving Still featured four poets and Sequenza 9.3, while solo acts included Zuli, Elina Duni, and Joy Frempong.
Key facts
- Lucia Ronchetti directed her first Biennale Musica in 2021, succeeding Ivan Fedele.
- The festival was titled Choruses and focused on the voice.
- Concerts were held at Teatro La Fenice, Basilica di San Marco, and Teatro del Parco della Bissuola.
- Kaija Saariaho received the Golden Lion for her vocal-focused work.
- Neue Vocalsolisten received the Silver Lion.
- Cappella Marciana performed works by Willaert, Gabrieli, Monteverdi, and Christina Kubisch.
- Marta Gentilucci's Moving Still – Processional Crossings was commissioned by the Biennale.
- Three solo performances featured Zuli, Elina Duni, and Joy Frempong.
Entities
Artists
- Lucia Ronchetti
- Ivan Fedele
- Kaija Saariaho
- Neue Vocalsolisten
- Cappella Marciana
- Adrian Willaert
- Giovanni Gabrieli
- Claudio Monteverdi
- Christina Kubisch
- Valentin Silvestrov
- Manuel Hidalgo Navas
- Maria Vincenza Cabizza
- Luca Francesconi
- Andreas Fischer
- EVO Ensemble
- Jennifer Walshe
- Peter Ablinger
- Claude Vivier
- James Brown
- Britney Spears
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Ensemble Accentus
- Marcus Creed
- Aleksi Barrière
- Sylvano Bussotti
- Marta Gentilucci
- Elisa Biagini
- Evie Shockley
- Irène Gayraud
- Shara McCallum
- Sequenza 9.3
- Maria Grazia Chiuri
- Catherine Simonpietri
- Zuli
- Elina Duni
- Domenico Modugno
- Fabrizio De André
- Joy Frempong
- Fabrizio Federici
Institutions
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Biennale Musica
- Biennale College
- Teatro La Fenice
- Basilica di San Marco
- Teatro del Parco della Bissuola
- Teatro alle Tese
- Ca' Giustinian
- Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Arsenale
- Teatro La Fenice
- Basilica di San Marco
- Teatro del Parco della Bissuola
- Teatro alle Tese
- Ca' Giustinian
- Cairo
- Egypt
- Albania
- Ghana
- Berlin
- Germany