Cortocircuito

Programme Notes
The programme brings together the complete performance of the six Sonatas for violin and harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach with the six interludes composed by Giovanni Sollima and dedicated to Stefano Demicheli and Elisa Citterio. The project unfolds across two concerts and culminates in a recording, scheduled for release in 2027 on the occasion of the second event in the cycle.

Cortocircuito emerges from the encounter between a timeless genius and one of the most widely performed contemporary Italian composers. It is the result of a profound artistic partnership between a violinist and a harpsichordist who have shared a common musical path for over twenty years, now reaching full maturity.

This meeting becomes a living dialogue between past and present, grounded in mutual listening, empathy, and interpretative freedom. The project intertwines Bach’s immortal masterpieces—an intangible heritage of humanity—with Sollima’s new compositions, written specifically for the performers.

The result is a sonic journey spanning three centuries: Bach’s elegance and visionary tension merge with Sollima’s pulsating energy and expressive force. Along this subtle threshold, where extreme cantability meets driving rhythm, a shared root emerges: different languages, yet deeply kindred.

An invitation to experience music as a space of encounter and transformation, where past and present reflect and illuminate one another, giving rise to an intense, vibrant, and profoundly contemporary experience.

Elisa Citterio
Violinist and conductor, she was for many years a member of the orchestra of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she was personally selected by Riccardo Muti to serve as concertmaster and soloist of the Accademia orchestra.
She has developed an extensive international career, collaborating with some of the most renowned period-instrument ensembles, including Concerto Italiano, Il Giardino Armonico, Europa Galante, and Accademia Bizantina.
From 2017 to 2022, she served as Music Director of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto, conducting in major concert halls worldwide. As a guest conductor, she has appeared with the orchestra and chorus of Teatro Nuovo in New York, as well as with Les Violons du Roy, the Seattle Symphony, and Thirteen Strings in Ottawa.
Deeply committed to teaching, she regularly gives masterclasses at prestigious institutions including FIMA Urbino, the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, The Juilliard School in New York, the Stauffer Academy, and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena.
Since 2024, she has been Professor of violin and historical viola at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. Her artistic collaboration with Stefano Demicheli spans nearly twenty years.

Stefano Demicheli
Harpsichordist, organist, and conductor, he is the Music Director of the Fondazione Pietà de’ Turchini in Naples.
A student of Ottavio Dantone, he furthered his studies with Emilia Fadini, Lars-Ulrik Mortensen, Lorenzo Ghielmi, and Jean-Claude Zehnder. From his early years, he has been invited to perform with leading baroque ensembles in Europe, the United States, and Canada, including Il Giardino Armonico, Accademia Bizantina, Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Köln, and Tafelmusik.
He has collaborated with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, and Ivor Bolton. Personally chosen by René Jacobs as his assistant, he held this role for over a decade.
He has developed a distinguished career as a conductor, achieving unanimous acclaim in 2025 for his direction of Il Giustino by Antonio Vivaldi at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music.
He has served as director of Academia 1750 in Barcelona and currently leads Talenti Vulcanici, with whom he received the Franco Abbiati Prize in 2019 as best musical initiative.
Since 2025, he has been director of the choir La Stagione Armonica in Padua, succeeding Sergio Balestracci. He has made numerous recordings for disc and television, collaborating, among others, with Philippe Daverio and Michele Dall’Ongaro.
A passionate educator, he regularly teaches international masterclasses at institutions such as Tafelmusik (Toronto), McGill University (Montréal), and FIMA (Urbino).
Also active in contemporary repertoire, he has inspired new works by Fabio Vacchi, Giovanni Sollima, and Mauro Montalbetti, who have dedicated compositions to him.
He has performed with violinist Elisa Citterio for nearly twenty years.

Interno5
Interno5 is a cultural association founded in Naples in 2003, active for over twenty years in the field of contemporary dance and performing arts. A production body recognized by the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC) and the Campania Region, since 2023 it has been the only dance distribution organization officially recognized by the Campania Region. It operates on multiple levels—production, distribution, training, and programming—supporting high-quality creative processes and building strong networks both in Italy and abroad.
Among its most significant co-productions are Act of Mercy and Pietas by Antonello Tudisco, and Pinocchio by Davide Iodice, winner of the Ubu Prize and selected for the Venice Biennale 2025. Its productions have been presented at Tanzmesse Düsseldorf, the Venice Biennale, the Zawirowania Festival in Warsaw, and numerous national festivals.
Interno5 has conceived and produced the MOVI|MENTALE Festival and the E45 Naples Fringe Festival, the first Fringe Festival in Italy. Since 2015, it has overseen the artistic and organizational direction of the Teatro Area Nord (TAN) in Naples, establishing itself as a key venue for contemporary dramaturgy and dance in the city.

Antonello Tudisco
Antonello Tudisco is a choreographer, artistic director, and art historian with over twenty years of experience in contemporary dance. He graduated with honours in Art History and holds a PhD from the University of Naples Federico II, combining choreographic research with the study of visual culture and the history of images.
He is the artistic director and principal choreographer of Interno5danza, recognized by the MiC and the Campania Region. Since 2015, he has directed the dance programme of the Teatro Area Nord (TAN) in Naples.
Among his most significant works are Act of Mercy (co-produced with the Teatro Mercadante di Napoli), Pietas (co-produced with Le Granit – Scène Nationale de Belfort), and Napoli.Corpo.Luce, a site-specific project created for the Naples 2500 celebrations. He founded and directed the Movimentale Festival and the E45 Naples Fringe Festival.
His work has been presented across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, with collaborations in cities including New York, Hong Kong, Montevideo, and Warsaw. He also teaches in professional dance programmes in Italy and abroad.