World Class Musician and Italian Deputy Mayor to Perform at Palladium

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // submitted

World-renowned pianist and Deputy Mayor Francesco Attesti of Cortona, Italy, is considered one of the finest interpreters of the Romantic and early Twentieth Century Repertoire, and he is scheduled to perform at the Palladium alongside the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and will also be performing at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in February.

Upon Attesti’s arrival to Carmel, Indiana, the Carmel Rotary and the City of Carmel will host an authentically Italian experience — Arte d’Italia — on February 17 and 19, 2023, during the Celebration Launch Weekend for Carmel’s sister-city relationship with Cortona, Italy. Proceeds from the events will benefit the many local organizations and projects in Carmel that the Rotary Club of Carmel supports throughout the year.

Purchase your tickets for the show at the Center for the Performing Arts or indulge in a once-in-a-lifetime, VIP opportunity to witness an artist and his craft while partaking in an authentically Italian meal featuring wines directly imported from Cortona.

For more information, visit www.arteditalia.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 5:30 P.M.

Black-tie, Cortona-inspired Dinner and Jazz Concert

Featuring the AB&C Trio from Cortona, Italy, at Feinstein’s Cabaret Club at Hotel Carmichael

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH, 7 P.M.

World-renowned pianist Francesco Attesti of Cortona, Italy, performs at the Palladium with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra in a program including works of Rossini, Copland and Grieg. Following the concert is an “Elegantly Italian” VIP dessert reception in Hotel Carmichael’s Cole Porter Ballroom, featuring Italian-inspired desserts, coffees and liqueurs.

An Opportunity For Hoosier Arts Organizations And Venues To Shine On A Global Stage

Hotel Carmichael General Manager Jamie Hopwood and Carmel Symphony Orchestra Artistic Director Janna Hymes weighed in on this spectacular opportunity to showcase some of Carmel’s finest and most beautiful venues and organizations.

“We are delighted to welcome Francesco Attesti to Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael,” Hopwood expressed. “Our Chef, Jason Crouch, and his team [have] curated an amazing menu focused on the richzz culinary influence found in this region of Italy. We are excited to be part of this collaborative event and excited to bring another songbook experience to our fans.”

Just as Attesti expressed his enthusiasm for performing with CSO and Maestra Hymes, Hymes spoke about what the upcoming performance means to her and the members of CSO.

“Francesco is so excited, we Zoomed with him twice,” Hymes shared. “He is a very well-respected not only politician but also a concert pianist. So, when we were approached about doing a concert with him, we designed a whole new program, and I thought it would be nice if we featured Italian and American pieces to show the collaboration that we’re doing. And to perform these with this Italian pianist along with an American orchestra is a wonderful combination and he loved the idea!”

Strengthening Diplomacy Through Art And Culture

Attesti became Deputy Mayor in 2019 and Counsellor of Culture and Tourism for Cortona, an interesting path for a world-renowned musician. We had the great privilege of speaking with Attesti about how he is using his political position to increase cultural awareness of not only his city of Cortona and the country of Italy but to enhance the economic development of his city by strengthening relationships with countries like America and cities such as Carmel, Indiana.

“I travel the world [as a performer and as Deputy Mayor] to be connected with several cultural institutions, universities and foundations for music and culture,” Attesti shared. “This position allows me to improve the cultural and touristic revenue for my city. It is a very complicated mission because Cortona is quite known worldwide, and so what we are trying to do is bring a better kind of tourism experience so that people stay longer than a few hours and maybe in the future will stay for a longer period of time. We are using new technologies and social media [to promote Cortona], and we are the first Tuscany town that does its own TikTok page! We also have Instagram and of course Facebook to promote Cortona through upscale cultural events. These could be exhibits, concerts and conferences — inviting important guests from different sectors and from businesses all over the world.”

The Deputy Mayor of Cortona proudly shared that his city is known for its many festivals that celebrate the various facets of Tuscan life in a modern era.

“We have several festivals — all different from each other,” Attesti expressed. “The festivals start from June and go through the end of summer, so into September, October. We have all the history; we have all the culture and the heritage. And we have museums, and we have wonderful buildings from medieval and renaissance times, the Roman time and so on. And then we have good food and wine, which is what we are known for!”

Music Is A Universal Language

Attesti has a penchant for all kinds of music and has been growing his passion for music since the age of 6. Although he is, of course, classically trained, Attesti enjoys a myriad of genres and will be performing with his trio, the Jazz Ensemble AB&C Trio of Cortona, Italy, at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael.

Attesti spoke with exuberance about performing timeless and beautiful classical works with CSO at the Palladium. With as much excitement, Attesti spoke about performing with his trio from Cortona in an even more intimate setting at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael.

“I am sure these will be great evenings of friendship and music,” Attesti stated. “I always say that music is the only language where, without saying anything, everyone in the world can understand you. My trio is a small formation of three musicians: piano, drums and double bass. We revisit the classical [pieces] in a different and modern way. It’s just my approach and is a project that I’ve wanted to realize since I was about 20 [years old] and started to do it only 4–5 years ago. It is very nice and very lively. I have a feeling that the public will be moved by it. Everybody knows the tunes that we are playing, but we present it in a very different style. You will see what we do in our performance!”

At Feinstein's, enjoy upscale dining and cocktails in an intimate venue. Feinstein's delivers patrons a unique entertainment experience unlike any other in the Midwest! Scan for a chance to win 2 tickets to a March show at Feinstein's!