"If everyone in the world was a little more passionate about music, there would be less hatred and fewer wars."
In short, music is the art par excellence for Filippo Gianfriddo , a 48-year-old Tuscan but Sardinian by adoption, principal timpanist and marimbist of the Teatro Lirico since 1997 , who began an all-Cagliari tour yesterday.
The Sinfonietta del Teatro Lirico made its debut yesterday in the Church of Sant'Agostino, directed by Jacopo Rivani, with the first of four musical events for "Un'Isola di Musica 2023", the musical festival of the Opera which will arrive in some centers of Sardinia and will bring on stage a string orchestra and Gianfriddo's solo marimba, for a fascinating listen.
The concert will be repeated today at 8pm in the Parish of the Vergine della Salute and tomorrow at 7pm at the Castle of San Michele, also in the capital; Sunday performance at 8pm in the Maria Carta Theater in Pula (Cagliari).
The three Cagliari concerts also inaugurate the new initiative "Il Lirico in città", aimed at valorising cultural centres, spreading great music in areas where it is rarely possible to listen to it live and expanding the audience.
«A novelty which I am enthusiastic about, for the first time we try to escape from the closed confines of the theater to open up to the city», comments Gianfriddo.
«We no longer want to wait for the audience on the stage but, on the contrary, bring the stage where there is an audience».
From the age of 5 he dedicated his life to music, driven by a passion that flowed through his veins, to the rhythm of percussion. "They were the instrument that made the most noise and, like a good egomaniac, I wanted to attract attention," he says while smiling.
Soon it becomes much more than this: after graduating from the “Luigi Cherubini” Conservatory of Music in Florence and specializing at the Conservatoire Superieur de Musique in Geneva, Gianfriddo begins to win his first competitions.
After the titles achieved at the Solo-Timpani of the Teatro Lirico of Cagliari (1997), at the Teatro alla Scala (2015) and at the Macao Orchestra (2019), which offered him various job opportunities, Filippo chooses Sardinia . «I won the competition during the mandate of mayor Mariano Delogu, and when I went to talk to him he told me “Refuse all other opportunities, we want you”. And so I decided, without ever regretting it", explains Gianfriddo.
«I have been deeply linked to Sardinia for 26 years now, and I am proud to have grown up together with the theater which, for me, is the most important in the world. I have seen the Opera evolve together with me and, thanks to my experience, I can say that it is one of the theaters with the highest quality, as well as a beautiful, stimulating and serene environment, where making art and making it loved is a priority."
Not just a theater but a foundation with important collaborations of national and international caliber: «In recent years we have raised the name of Sardinia around the world, and I am proud of it. In addition to having had the opportunity, thanks to the previous editions of "An Island in Music", to reach all the territories of the region, from Sassari to Olbia, from Nuoro to Oristano, with the small towns included, and to play in wonderful places".
A passion so heartfelt, his, that he felt a strong need to pass it on: Gianfriddo also teaches percussion at the civic school of Cagliari. «I see myself a lot in my students. Children aged 6,7,8 to whom I can convey the joy of making music, to keep alive an art that grows people. I find it an unparalleled professional enrichment."
« Music reflects the civilization of a country. And art serves to make people understand the meaning of life. Planting seeds that will germinate in the future is a big commitment. We need to make people love music, my mission is to embrace people and bring them into the dimension of the soul. There are no words in music, but with the notes you hit short ones that no other art can "play"".