Julia Zilberquit Performance at Mozart Evenings Festival Draws Standing Ovations in Italy
From the 25th of May to the 4th of June 2025, the Italian city of Chieti, in the country's picturesque Abruzzo region, marked the much-anticipated return of Mozart Evenings, a grand festival celebrating the rich legacy and musical genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Organised by Konstantin Ishkhanov, its President, in collaboration with Artistic Director Giuliano Mazzoccante, this event marked the second edition of the festival, which has quickly established itself as a staple entry in the cultural calendar of the region.
Hosted at the historic Teatro Marrucino, which has been named as one of Italy's Theatres of Tradition since 2003, this 2025 edition of Mozart Evenings featured a total of five classical concerts, bringing together a stunning lineup of international soloists, conductors, and orchestras in a celebratory homage to one of the greatest composers in Western music, including amongst them the celebrated US pianist Julia Zilberquit.
Julia Zilberquit with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan on stage of Teatro Marrucino
A graduate of the Juilliard School, Zilberquit has earned critical acclaim as a recitalist, chamber musician and recording artist, being praised by the New York Times as 'an outstanding soloist' after one of her performances at Carnegie Hall. She has also performed at the 92nd Street Y, and the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, to mention a few, and has appeared at many major international music festivals including events in Seattle, Colmar (France), Klangbogen (Vienna), the Bard Music Festival in New York, and the Penderecki Festival (Poland).
'Mozart is of course a genius of all times', said Zilberquit, 'and I don't know what the world of classical music would be without him, I cannot imagine it! I'm so happy to be performing here in Chieti in this wonderful amazing Teatro Marrucino, and to be presenting this particular concerto – the Concerto in A minor No. 23, K. 488. In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful piano concertos, not only from Mozart's oeuvre, but of all time, especially its second movement. It's very sad and very profound, and I think I'm lucky and we're lucky to be in the presence of such a genius piece tonight.'
In addition to Zilberquit, the festival's concerts were headlined by such luminaries as pianists Cyprien Katsaris (Greece), Giuliano Mazzoccante (Italy), and Arsenii Moon (France), violinists Davide Alogna (Italy), Karen Shahgaldyan (Armenia), and Anna Tifu (Italy), clarinetist Vicente Alberola (Spain), flautist Tommaso Benciolini (Italy), and violist Giuseppe Russo Rossi (Italy).
Moreover, audiences in Italy were also able to witness the talents of the AYSO Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, who took to the stage under the direction of several acclaimed conductors, including Luis Andrade (Portugal), Alibek Kabdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan), Gianluca Marcianò (Italy), and Teresa Satalino (Italy).
'I'm very happy to have had the chance to work with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan', Zilberquit added. 'It's a great experience, it was my first time collaborating with them, and with Maestro Gianluca Marcianò as well. We've known each other for a very, very long time, and we have always discussed working together, and today, this finally happened, so I'm very happy about that!'
Through this remarkable gathering of artistic excellence, Mozart Evenings continued to fulfil its goal of honouring the rich legacy of the Austrian composer, while also celebrating Chieti's musical heritage and its role as a cultural hub for the region. Commenting about the organisation of the festival, Zilberquit took the time to highlight the work being carried out by the duo who spearheaded the event, stating that 'I have worked with Mr Konstantin Ishkhanov and Maestro Giuliano Mazzoccante several times, and it is always a great experience. The organisation is great, it's always top notch! We've done things together in Malta, we've done things together in Dubai, and I'm especially happy to be in Chieti because I was supposed to perform a solo concert here in the spring of 2020, and then the Covid-19 pandemic started. So, of course, this concert did not happen, but five years later here we are!'
From left to right: Gianluca Marcianò, Julia Zilberquit, Konstantin Ishkhanov, Arsenii Moon
Having met with widespread acclaim from the crowds that packed the sold-out Marrucino Theatre throughout its run, Mozart Evenings now turns its gaze towards the future once again, as Konstantin Ishkhanov looks to continue to bring the very best of classical music, presented by the top musicians of our time, to the stunning streets of Chieti for many more years to come.
For more information about Mozart Evenings, please visit mozartevenings.com .
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