Sagra Musicale Umbra 2016: Spirituality and Youth in Umbrian Concert Series

The 71st edition of the Sagra Musicale Umbra, one of Italy's oldest music festivals, took place from September 10 to 18 across Umbria, featuring around twenty concerts under the theme 'L'Altissima Luce della Fede' from the Laudario da Cortona. Notable performances included Martha Argerich with the Youth Orchestra of Bahia, the Premio Siciliani for sacred music, and a closing concert with 120 performers conducted by Juray Valċhua. Two standout concerts on the same day were 'Seicento Stravagante' by the young ensemble Nova Alta at the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria in Perugia, and 'Au choeur du Soufi' by a mostly Tunisian group at the Templar Church of San Bevignate. Nova Alta's five members—David Brutti, Danilo Tamburo, Stefano Bellucci, Andrea Angeloni, Giulio Fratini—played period instruments including the serpentone, evoking Monteverdi and Cavalli. The Sufi concert featured singers Abir Naraouini and Moufadhel Adhoum, percussionist Mohamed Abdelkater Ibn Haj Kachem, pianist Sébastien Willemins, local choir Santo Spirito Volumnia led by a French director, and Korean conductor In Sang Hwang, demonstrating the universality of Sufi chant. The festival attracted international press and groups from France and Germany, straining hotel capacity. However, state funding (FUS) was reduced, with funds redirected to the Orchestra Regionale Siciliana, which should be supported by Sicily's special statute region.