L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano M ore than just a p r o g r a m f o r m u s i c lovers, Fes- tival Napa V a l l e y —presented by the nonprofit Napa Valley Festi- val Association—always offers a showcase of talent, and this year is no exception. The 2025 summer season will feature international and emerging artists, including Jon Batiste, Joyce DiDonato, and Tiler Peck, with the North American debut of the Ver- sailles Royal Opera and a spe- cial appearance by the Pacific Symphony. Beyond its world- class performances, the festi- val is deeply invested in arts education, offering programs f o r s t u d e n t s , t u i t i o n - f r e e academies for young artists, and crucial scholarships to nurture future generations. It also promotes lifelong learn- ing through music and well- ness initiatives, including a new Music & Wellness Sym- posium. This year's festival will also feature a film series t r i b u t e t o E n n i o M o r r i - cone, thanks to a special con- nection between co-founder Charles Letourneau and one of the maestro's children, Giovanni. We had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Letourneau, who serves as Vice President and Director of Artistic Plan- ning, diving into his vision of t r a n s f o r m i n g h o w p e r f o r - mance and lifestyle festivals are conceived, delivered, and funded. He trained as a vio- linist and studied music at the University of Montreal and the Schulich School of Music, before heading to Yale. "I was always involved in the arts and in the world of music," he tells us. "I moved to New York with my wife and started in the music business working for artist management com- panies. It's just a wonderful world to be in, collaborating with the greatest musicians, agencies, and record labels." D i r e c t o r L e t o u r n e a u ' s background is unique, as it includes financial planning, operations, fundraising, mar- keting, partnerships, and the arts. Combining all these ele- ments isn't easy, yet the pas- s i o n i s p a l p a b l e . " I t ' s extremely useful to have all this knowledge and experi- ence when you're planning large-scale events, though the artistic planning is the most important part. It's crucial to be able to choose and decide the artists and the events, as well as making sure that the event is financially successful and well received by the pub- lic. By now, I have a good idea of what to do and how to avoid mistakes." He contin- ues: "These are very complex events with a lot of moving parts, but I really love the c h a l l e n g e o f o r g a n i z i n g , keeping everything running, and the opportunity to work with people. Sometimes, we do have complications with visas for foreign artists, for example. That's a part of the job that's very complex. This year we're bringing many for- eign artists, a whole orches- tra from France. These festi- vals are all about people and relationships. As a non-prof- it, we exist to bring great art to people." Music is a unique tool to b r i n g p e o p l e t o g e t h e r i n m a n y d i f f e r e n t w a y s . I t allows everyone to feel con- nected—a path to both diplo- macy and friendship. "My great fortune," he tells us, "was to meet Rick Walker in 2005. He is the president and CEO of the festival now—my counterpart in Napa. We've been working closely togeth- er since day one, and he is one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. We ini- tially had the idea of a small festival in Napa Valley, just a f e w e v e n t s w i t h t h e b e s t artists. Our first concert fea- t u r e d J o s h u a B e l l , t h e famous American violinist, a n d A l a n G i l b e r t , m u s i c d i r e c t o r o f t h e N e w Y o r k Philharmonic and the Russ- ian National Orchestra. In the first season, we had one concert and one dinner every day. Today, we have 60 or 70 events happening during the summer—multiple events every day: concerts, lunches, educational events, including for kids. The thing that has not changed is the quality of the art; our guiding principle is excellence and our mission is to bring fantastic artists that you haven't heard of yet." T h e F e s t i v a l s p a n s t h e Napa region, focusing on small towns where major concerts and internationally known artists are rare. "All these programs cost money, and we've been able to raise funding and get very gener- ous support from individual donors and companies that are wonderful sponsors. Our t i c k e t p r i c e s h a v e a l w a y s been affordable so that every- one can attend. This year, we pushed it even further. At every single concert, we've adopted a 'Pay What You Choose' model. People can p a y a n y t h i n g t h e y c a n o r want to—nothing, a bit more, or a donation—everyone can attend for free, basically. That is our gift to the com- munity." Nowadays, Festival Napa Valley presents concerts all year round, with at least one event per month across Napa and the Bay Area, as well as special performances in cities like New York, Chicago, and e v e n i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y — i n China, Japan, and Italy. The o r g a n i z e r s a r e b r i n g i n g m a g i c a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . While the 2026 program- ming is already in place, with a special 20th anniversary c e l e b r a t i o n , D i r e c t o r L e t o u r n e a u i s c u r r e n t l y w o r k i n g o n t h e 2 0 2 7 a n d 2028 seasons. Looking ahead to 2025, a few highlights stand out. "We have a good Italian theme running through the festival. The La Dolce Vita evening, sponsored by Maria Manetti Shrem, will be a tribute to Ennio Morricone. I grew up with his music and Sergio Leone's films. The reason we're doing this is that I was in contact with Giovanni, Ennio Morricone's son, who lives in New York, and with his publisher. We had been discussing a tribute, and we were able to put together a beautiful program that will include soundtracks from his films, symphonic music, and beautiful images from his life. This program was creat- ed for us by Giovanni and the team at Ed Sherman Publish- ing. We also have Italian con- ductor Clelia Cafiero, the 2025 Joel Revzen Conduct- ing Prizewinner. It's very exciting for us to bring her to America for the first time— a n d h o p e f u l l y , t h i s w i l l launch her career here." For over two decades, Fes- tival Napa Valley has used the power of music to enrich lives and strengthen the local c o m m u n i t y . D i r e c t o r Letourneau sees the impact clearly: "Each year, many people come to me and say, 'You are the best part of my year.' People are excited for our return and are part of a loyal audience. We put our tickets on sale just over a month ago, and we already have several sold-out shows. That's fantastic. Our return rate for attendees is excel- lent—once people attend, they want to come back. The same goes for the artists. To know that they eagerly look forward to July each year, and that the festival is a high- light for them, really means a lot." W e a s k e d D i r e c t o r Letourneau what he'd say to convince someone to attend the festival for the first time. "We have a unique combina- tion of everything that makes Napa Valley special in the s u m m e r — s o m e t h i n g y o u won't find anywhere else in the world. The greatest art and also the greatest food. The weather is perfect. We're surrounded by vineyards, and you'll have this extraor- dinary experience of every- thing coming alive in the most beautiful place in the world." He adds: "You can go to a fantastic concert, enjoy a beautiful lunch, attend a spe- c i a l p e r f o r m a n c e — s e e i n g e v e r y t h i n g f r o m b a l l e t t o o p e r a t o s y m p h o n i e s . A unique synergy of elements that creates an experience you can't get anywhere else. Come check us out, and I guarantee you'll love it." The 2025 Summer Season of Festival Napa Valley will take place from July 5th to July 20th in Napa Valley, California. Full schedule at https://festivalnapavalley.o rg/attend/2025-summer- season-schedule/ SERENA PERFETTO Music & magic: Festival Napa Valley with conductor Clelia Cafiero and Morricone tribute A performance during a summer evening at Festival Napa Valley (Photo courtesy of Festival Napa Valley) SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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