In a place of honour, the Stauffer Academy and the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) closed the edition celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of I Suoni delle Dolomiti, whose finale featured a triptych of concerts by the two partner institutions. Conceived and directed by Mario Brunello, the festival brings music to high altitudes, in some of the most striking mountain landscapes in the world. The natural setting of the Dolomites turns each concert into an immersive experience, where music meets an open and unconventional space. For the young performers, this meant rethinking their relationship with sound: without the usual resonance of a concert hall, it spreads freely, rising into the air or along the rock faces. This setting required a different kind of listening, greater awareness, and the ability to adapt both technically and expressively in direct dialogue with the surrounding environment. This unique artistic dimension was intertwined with a profound human experience. Musicians from across Europe spent days studying, walking and living together, building relationships and developing a shared sensitivity that was reflected in the performances and left a lasting mark on each of them.
The programme unfolded across three events. The first featured the EUYO Wind Quintet in a refined musical programme at 2,243 metres, among the peaks of the Catinaccio Group. Two days later, the Quartetto Thumós, students of the String Quartet course, performed works by Giacomo Puccini, Giorgio Federico Ghedini and Giuseppe Verdi in an evocative setting near the Rifugio Contrin in Canazei. The festival closed with the EUYO & Stauffer European Orchestra, conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi, performing Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” by Ludwig van Beethoven – a fitting choice, capturing the deep connection between humanity, art and nature. The performance, warmly received by the audience who reached the Rifugio Fuciade on the Passo San Pellegrino, brought together musical excellence, shared listening and a direct relationship with the environment, turning the concert into a moment of genuine collective experience.
