THE ORCHESTRA
Theresia is an international orchestra composed by musicians up to 28 years of age coming from the major European schools of early music. Theresia focuses exclusively on the classical music repertoire and promotes its performance on period instruments, developing its learning cycles and concert tours around the symphonic works of Haydn, Mozart, Kraus, Boccherini, Beethoven and Mendelssohn.
THE HISTORY
The orchestra has been established in January 2012 under a private patronage scheme on the initiative of the Italian entrepreneur Mario Martinoli. More than 1200 training hours, 10 conductors and tutors, 150 musicians, 800 applications received from more than 40 world countries are the numbers that better describe the work that Theresia has done so far. Beyond numbers, the value of Theresia is also witnessed by more than 50 concerts held over the past years in several venues and festivals in Italy and Europe.
From 2016 the orchestra operates under the patronage of the Fondazione ICONS, a cultural organisation based in Northern Italy, and has developed into a structured pan-European learning program: all permanent members of the orchestra receive grants for the duration of one to two years, following educational paths designed to provide them with refined instruments to improve their playing and building a better awareness on the specific features of the classical music repertoire.
THE APPROACH
Theresia is a musical project built around its young musicians. As such, it grew on the belief that the members of the orchestra should also cover the principal musical roles, i.e. concertmaster and soloists. No senior musician plays in the orchestra. The entrust of the orchestra to several conductors, not just one, was another decision that improved the learning experience of its members, enabling them to confront not only with the repertoire but also with different artistic readings and approaches. Giovanni Antonini, Chiara Banchini. Alfredo Bernardini are among the invited principal conductors of the orchestra.
THE PRESENT
The present setting of Theresia Orchestra after the completion of the 2021 audition process is made of 43 musicians coming from 26 world countries and 14 EU countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA).
The growth of the orchestra is witnessed by the increasing interest to apply from people coming from the most culturally diverse countries and by the truly international composition of its members, genuine and proactive ambassadors of the cultural values at the basis of the European identity.