Giovine Orchestra Genovese

Among the oldest concert societies in Italy, Giovine Orchestra Genovese was founded in 1912 in Genoa by Giovanni Semeria, a priest, writer and public speaker, one of the greatest Italian catholic personalities of the 20th century.

The actual purpose of Giovanni Semeria and the composer Mario Barbieri, Giuseppe Martucci's pupil, was to create a permanent orchestra and a musical society at the same time.

That was to be formed both by professional players and "active members", the latter being culture high-profile personalities, chamber music lovers and concert regular attenders who would gave their financial support, in spite of directly joining the orchestra.

[4] During the 1920s the association hosted many internationally renowned artists such as Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Wilhelm Backhaus, Vladimir Horowitz, Walter Gieseking, Nathan Milstein and Francis Poulenc, progressively turning into a society specialised in producing and organizing concerts rather than a proper orchestra with its own players.

However, Italy's entrance into World War II caused a serious decrease of these activities: frequent allied bombings on Genoa led the association to transfer its events to Rapallo until 1944, before completely stopping them all.

Yehudi Menuhin, Andrés Segovia, Mstislav Rostropovich, Dinu Lipatti, Sviatoslav Richter and Benjamin Britten were only some of the "big" performers playing in Genoa during the post War period.

Many artists, musicians and cultural and political personalities such as Salvatore Accardo, Annamaria Cancellieri, Bruno Canino, Riccardo Muti, Renzo Piano, Maurizio Pollini, Uto Ughi and Fabio Vacchi joined a special Honorary Committee of the Centennial, created on that occasion.

[7] Nowadays, Giovine Orchestra Genovese, a non-profitable organization since 2004, has established itself as one of the finest cultural centres in Italy and shares, along with the Teatro Carlo Felice own Opera and symphonic seasons, the greatest musical offering in Genoa.