Next 5 July, on the occasion of the second edition of the music festival inspired by the French Grands Crus Musicaux, Castello Banfi will host a concert by Russian Maestro Alexander Kniazev.
After the great success of the first edition, the Melodia del Vino Festival returns, a true journey through Tuscan wine excellence, together with the magic of international classical music.
Melody of Wine 2012
On 5 July, on the occasion of the fifth and penultimate stage of the Festival, in the evocative setting of the walls of Castello Banfi in Montalcino, the notes of Alexander Knaziev, the international star of this second edition of the Festival, will resound in the Cello Recital. Considered by critics to be the heir of Mstislav Rostropovich, the Russian Maestro began studying the cello at an early age, under the guidance of Alexander Fedorchenko. Awarded in the most prestigious competitions such as the Moscow Tchaikovsky and Vilnius, he has the opportunity to play with the most important artists of international renown. During his career, he has received many critical awards, especially for the disc dedicated to Max Reger and the one dedicated to Ernest Bloch's 'Schelomo'. Besides playing with some of the most famous conductors (Temirkanov, Rostropovich, Bashmet), he has collaborated with numerous European orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
The programme
During the evening, participants will have the opportunity to taste two prestigious labels from Banfi's wide range of wines: the San Angelo Pinot Grigio 2011 and the Belnero 2009.
Peugeot, one of the main sponsors of the event, will be present at Castello Banfi with two of its new models, the 3008 HYbrid4 and the 508 RXH, two cars that, thanks to their extremely environmentally friendly technical excellence, are perfectly in line with Melody of Wine.
"Collaborating on this second edition of the Melodia del Vino Festival," says Cristina Mariani-May, "seemed natural to us, especially after the excellent public and critical acclaim obtained in the first edition. Maestro Marc Laforet and Michel Gotlib, the creators of the project, thought of merging the harmony of all the senses, from classical music to the excellence of the wines of a prestigious territory like Tuscany, into a single, extraordinary experience."
Castello Banfi, immersed in this extraordinary terroir and always devoted to the pursuit of quality, produces wines all characterised by a soul deeply rooted in this unique and extraordinary territory. A point of reference for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi was established in 1978 by the Mariani family, who decided to develop a centre of excellence in Montalcino for the production of quality wines, indissolubly linking Banfi to this territory and its development. Located on the south-west side of the municipality of MontalcinoThe estate covers 2,830 hectares, of which approximately 800 are planted with specialised vineyards, while the rest of the property is occupied by woods, olive groves, and other crops.
Festival Mission
Melodia del Vino will take place from 26 June to 7 July 2012. The Festival, which is modelled on its French twin "Grands Crus Musicaux", proposes itself as an "ideal bridge" between the excellence of Tuscany and France; this is why the Region of Tuscany has decided to adhere to and support the initiative since its first edition in the summer of 2011. The creators of the highly original format are Maestro Marc Laforet, artistic director of both events, and Michel Gotlib, a childhood friend of Maestro Laforet, wine and music enthusiast and president of the MelodiadelVino Festival. Melodiadelvino is an event that has chosen to promote itself thanks to the Internet. Fondazione Sistema Toscana, which is already in charge of the online promotion of Tuscany on behalf of the Region of Tuscany, manages the event's official website www.melodiadelvino.it and will take care of its social campaign.
