The Sound of Christmas: the Collegium Musicum Holiday Concerts

The Christmas spirit is in the air. The Collegium Musicum Almae Matris is getting ready to celebrate it with two events in December, open to both the academic community and the general public. The season kicks off with the Advent Concert, taking place on Sunday, 1 December[ at 6 p.m. at the Church of Santa Cristina in Piazzetta Morandi, 2. On Friday, 20 December, at 9 p.m., it will be the turn of the much-awaited traditional Christmas Concert, a gift from the University of Bologna to the city. This year, to accommodate an even larger audience, the concert will take place at the Auditorium Manzoni in Via de’ Monari, 1/2.

The Advent Concert, conducted by Enrico Lombardi, will present a repertoire with distinctly Christmas tones from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The String Orchestra will perform two Concerti Grossi by Corelli – No. 4 and No. 8, also known as “Christmas Concerto.” The Chamber Choir and the Orchestra will then come together to perform Vivaldi's Magnificat, enriched by the solo voices of Debora Govoni, Margherita Minardi and Jiawen Zhang. The evening will conclude with two traditional Christmas carols: Silent Night and O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

The Orchestra, conducted by Alissia Venier, will open the Christmas Concert performing 19th-century compositions by Grieg and Strauss. The Choir and soprano Anna Maria Sarra will then take the stage. Under the baton of Enrico Lombardi, they will perform, together with the Orchestra, the offertory Alma Virgo by Hummel, along with some of the most loved Christmas carols.

 Admission to both concerts is free, subject to seat availability.

Lastly, the Collegium Musicum will accompany the Rector's traditional Christmas wishes to the academic community: on Monday, 16 December, the Corpo Filarmonico Universitario will perform in Cortile dell’Ercole, in Palazzo Poggi, next to the Christmas tree, to welcome attendees with music. Two performances are scheduled – at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. –featuring a wind band version of the most popular Christmas melodies.