The October 31st concert at the Auditorium of the Pierluigi da Palestrina Conservatory in Cagliari brought together on stage Uto Ughi and Bruno Canino, two undisputed protagonists of Italian classical music, linked by an artistic partnership spanning several decades. This was a truly valuable encounter, especially considering that in recent years, opportunities to hear the two performers together have become increasingly rare.
Their understanding confirms their ability to excite and stems from a long-standing artistic partnership, nurtured through experiences, concerts, and individual journeys that have led them to the pinnacle of the international music scene. Reuniting today means renewing a musical connection based on mutual understanding, interpretative sensitivity, and the desire to breathe new life into scores.
" I met Uto when he was still wearing shorts ," says Bruno Canino , recalling the beginning of a decades-long relationship. A relationship marked by some pauses, as the pianist himself explains, but never interrupted in its deepest meaning. And on the pleasure of sharing the stage with Ughi again, Canino is direct: " It's always a great pleasure to meet him again. Uto has a very inspiring way of playing: he's a great violinist, but above all, an artist ." What makes him even more special is " a certain degree of unpredictability ," a quality that, in the pianist's words, helps define the personality of an extraordinary performer.
At eighty-two years old, with a career that began at an early age and training under George Enescu, Uto Ughi is among the most authoritative exponents of the Italian violin tradition. His career has led him to perform with some of the world's leading orchestras, from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam to the Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, under the baton of maestros such as Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, and Mstislav Rostropovich. In addition to his concert and recording career, he has devoted a significant portion of his time to promoting musical culture and supporting young talent through the Uto Ughi Foundation, launched in 2023.
" We created the Foundation because young people have never had a proper musical education in Italian schools. They also lacked an incentive to learn about the history of music and what our country has contributed to music. There are great composers like Vivaldi, Tartini, Paganini, and Viotti: these names are almost unknown to young people ," Uto Ughi proudly recalls.
Bruno Canino, ninety years old, is himself a central figure in Italian pianism and chamber music. An internationally renowned soloist and performer, Antonio Ballista's longtime partner, and a member of the Milan Trio for thirty years, he has collaborated with musicians of the caliber of Itzhak Perlman, Salvatore Accardo, and Viktoria Mullova. Throughout his concert career, he has shown an interest in contemporary music, working with composers such as Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, in addition to teaching and holding important artistic commissions.
" It's a dialogue that began when we were very young. For me, playing with Bruno is always a homecoming, because he's an extraordinary and versatile musician, with great musical intelligence. Playing with him is always a celebration, a pleasure ," says Uto Ughi.
The program presented in Cagliari spanned diverse and precious eras and languages: from Tomaso Antonio Vitali's Chaconne in G minor to Beethoven's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9, Op. 47, "A Kreutzer ," to Manuel de Falla's Suite populaire espagnole and Camille Saint-Saëns' Introduction et Rondò capriccioso, Op. 28. A dialogue between the rigor of the writing, the virtuosity, and the expressive nuances of two instruments, entrusted to the skill of the two performers.
Next up is Leslie Howard
The "Musical Itineraries of Identity" series continues on November 8th, once again at the Auditorium of the Cagliari Conservatory, with Australian pianist Leslie Howard, an internationally renowned interpreter and key figure in Franz Liszt's repertoire.
A defining moment in his career is his recording of Liszt's complete solo piano works, a remarkable achievement that confirms the depth of his work on the Hungarian composer. This monumental project has cemented Howard's international reputation and his connection to one of the most challenging and fascinating repertoires in the history of the piano.
From the chamber music encounter between Ughi and Canino to the piano world of Liszt, the Cagliari calendar offers listening opportunities thanks to top-notch performers, creating a connection between tradition, study, and diverse artistic sensibilities.
Tickets for the Leslie Howard concert are available on Vivaticket.
The complete program of musical events is, as always, available on the festival's website.