Franco Cesarini Live in Concert

175th Anniversary Civica Filarmonica di Lugano

Since its foundation in 1830, Civica Filarmonica di Lugano has performed at diverse events, ranging from large gatherings to international jury competitions. The Civica Filarmonica di Lugano is one of Switzerland’s oldest and most prestigious music societies and consists of approximately 70 musicians. The Civica Filarmonica gives about 20 concerts a year, both at the city’s concert halls and the Piazza della Riforma, the square in Lugano that can be considered the meeting point of the city’s inhabitants. As far as concert band music goes, the public’s general taste has changed over the years. These days, besides performances of classical transcriptions of the symphonic repertoire, original music is much appreciated. Civica Filarmonica di Lugano’s lasting success lies in its willingness to explore new musical horizons.

The concert band’s special task is to offer music to the public as well as to teach music to young people, especially in the Scuola Musicale di Lugano, run by the Civica Filarmonica itself. There are cultural engagements that the Civica Filarmonica carries out with the capability working through a repertoire of roughly 1200 pieces.

From the year of its foundation, 14 conductors have followed each other.

From 1830 to 1839: Pietro Fabbi and Antonino Nosotti-Bonicalzi
From 1839 to 1847: Camillo Manzoni
From 1857 to 1873: Celestino Gnocchi
From 1873 to 1875: Pasquale Sessa
From 1875 to 1877: Luigi Piontelli
1878: Francesco de Divitiis
From 1879 to 1882: Luciano Marchesini
From 1883 to 1909: Francesco de Divitiis
1909: Filippo Pizzi
From 1909 to 1936: Enrico Dassetto
From 1937 to 1967: Umberto Montanaro
From 1968 to 1997: Pietro Damiani
Since 1998: Franco Cesarini