Want to know more about what the Romaeuropa Festival is bringing this year?
From September 4 to November 17, the 39th edition of the Romaeuropa Festival will offer 100 performances, 300 shows, and feature over 700 artists from around the world. This year’s festival is one of the most extensive yet, bringing together music, theater, dance, digital arts, and children’s creations across 20 locations in Rome.
This year’s festival, directed by Fabrizio Grifasi, aims to engage with the complexities of the present and push the boundaries of imagination to explore human emotions and movements, both today and in the future. It’s designed as an “open space” for dialogue between generations and artistic practices, fostering a sense of sharing, celebration, discovery, and wonder.
INSPIRATION
Best Events in Rome this autumn
The festival opens with international dance performances, including “Mycelium” by Christos Papadopoulos for the Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, and a revival of Merce Cunningham’s “Biped” at Teatro Costanzi. The opening week also pays tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto with a live performance by the Brussels Philharmonic at the Auditorium Parco della Musica and a film screening at MAXXI.
INTERNATIONAL SCENE
The dialogue between dance and music, as well as the exchange between different languages and aesthetics, enriches the international offerings of REF2024. This year’s festival connects Europe and the world, bringing together a variety of narratives and perspectives.
Returning to the stage at Teatro Argentina are the Franco-Catalan group Baro d’evel with their production “Qui Som?”, featuring a diverse cast of musicians, dancers, acrobats, ceramicists, and artists from various disciplines. The fusion of dance and music continues with the work of Flemish choreographer Jan Martens, whose “Voice Noise” is dedicated to the female voice, and French choreographer Noé Soulier, who blends his choreographic research with the music of J.S. Bach in “Close Up.”
The Mexican company Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol transports us to Central America, exploring the relationship between their nation and the people of Central America, starting with the story of a Nicaraguan woman forced to leave her country.
In “House,” director Amos Gitai gathers actors and musicians from across the Middle East on the stage of Teatro Argentina, creating a dialogue between languages, origins, and musical traditions. The performance reflects the history of the inhabitants who lived in a house in Jerusalem over the course of a quarter century.
MUSIC
On Sunday, October 20, Teatro Argentina presents “Nuvolario,” featuring Steve Reich’s masterpiece “Music for 18 Musicians,” which creates a musical spectacle where ephemeral elements like clouds and breath take center stage. Flemish-Ghanaian director Gorges Ocloo’s musical theater piece “The Golden Stool” brings to life a personal “AfrOpera” based on the resistance struggles of Nana Yaa Asentewaa.
Literature, poetry, and music intertwine in “Bello Mondo” by Mariangela Gualtieri, Uri Caine, and Paolo Fresu, as well as in “L’ultimo viaggio di Sindbad” by Italian composer Silvia Colasanti, a performance produced and presented by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma at Teatro Nazionale and inspired by the text by Erri de Luca.
The diverse musical offerings of the REF also include major concerts, technological research, and experimental formats of creation and enjoyment. At the Auditorium Parco della Musica, the German cult band Einstürzende Neubauten kicks off the Italian tour of their latest album “Alien Pop Music,” while Trentemøller presents his latest musical projects live. In “Inner Spaces,” trumpeter, santur player, and vocalist Amir ElSaffar collaborates with electronic artist Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesh.
THEATRE
Directing and writing dialogue in the national premieres and projects presented at Teatro Vascello in collaboration with La Fabbrica dell’Attore. Licia Lanera brings together three stories from Pier Vittorio Tondelli’s “Altri Libertini” into a single dramaturgy, Martina Badiluzzi turns to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” Giorgina Pi and her company Bluemotion stage Bernard Marie Koltès’ “Roberto Zucco,” Daria Deflorian adapts Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian,” and Massimiliano Civica tackles Neil Simon’s “Chapter II.” Director Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli and her company lacasadargilla adapt the young playwright Rosalida Conti’s text, “Uccellini.”
Oscar De Summa’s “Rette parallele sono l’amore e la morte” intertwines quantum theory with personal memories, while Marleen Scholten’s “Il disperato,” performed by her Italian-Dutch company, tells the story of a family crisis. Another family story, this time dealing with the death of a son, is told in “Dear Son” by choreographer-dancers Simone Repele and Sasha Riva, making their debut at the REF.
KIDS
Kids & Family, a festival within the festival curated by Stefania Lo Giudice, renews its offerings of music, theater, and contemporary circus dedicated to children. Teatro Vittoria will host “n’Importe qui” by Leandre Clown in October, a show for all ages. In November, La Pelanda del Mattatoio becomes a hub of creativity for young children and their families, featuring musical performances by OORKAAN and Music Impulscentrum, dance-theater shows by Bontehond and La Mecanica, and a playground with artist-designed games, cinema, and workshops, all curated by Tombs Creatius.
Click here to download the full program
Romaeuropa Festival 2024
From September 4 till November 17
Locations:
TEATRO DELL’OPERA – AUDITORIUM PARCO DELLA MUSICA – MATTATOIO – TEATRO ARGENTINA – TEATRO INDIA – TEATRO VITTORIA – TEATRO VASCELLO – MAXXI – VILLA MEDICI ACCADEMIA DI FRANCIA – AUDITORIUM CONCILIAZIONE – TEATRO SALA UMBERTO
Info:
