The Music Returns, Conductor Riccardo Muti Opens Ravenna Festival

Renowned conductor Riccardo Muti has planned to continue a summer music festival in Ravenna, Italy for the summer. After months of quarantine and shuttered music venues, Muti has said that the virus has “destroyed music” and left viewers deprived of “spiritual food.” Looking towards the future, the 78-year old conductor and his wife Cristina Mazzavillani, the founder of the music festival, have decided to continue the festival while taking precautions.

The historic Ravenna festival encompasses nearly fifty events and is now planned entirely in outdoor venues, following distancing protocols of a meter between each musician and guest. On the reopening, Muti said, “’In the message of solidarity that I send to the entire cultural world, I give a signal from Ravenna, that at a certain point you can restart, you must restart, with caution and with care.”

Muti also mentioned the deep impact on culture the pandemic has imparted, noting that even during two world wars theaters stayed open to provide cultural relief. “In that sense, this virus was even more devastating than bombs,” said Muti.

The festival, now in its thirty-first year, is scheduled to run through July, featuring musicians such as Filippo Gorini, Stefano Bollani, and Massimo Gramellini. The program includes symphonic and chamber music, opera, drama, dance, ballet, musical theater, and jazz.