The Rotary Club of Carmel in conjunction with the City of Carmel and the Carmel-Cortona Sister City Committee will present an event to celebrate the launch of Carmel’s Sister City relationship with Cortona, Italy, by bringing a taste of Cortona – music, food and wine – to Carmel in February 2023.
Cortona Deputy Mayor Francesco Attesti, who is a world-renowned classical concert pianist, has agreed to come to Carmel and perform with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra at the Palladium on Sunday, Feb. 19, followed by a VIP reception in the Cole Porter Ballroom of Hotel Carmichael. In addition, Attesti and his AB&C Trio, which includes Attesti (piano), Maurizio Bozzi (double bass) and Maicol Cucchi (drums), will perform at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael on Friday, Feb. 17, for a special black-tie event that will feature a celebration of Cortona food and wine.
Packages and tickets are available now at the Center for the Performing Arts box office.
Attesti is known as an Italian pianist of international acclaim. Among his generation of musicians, he is considered one of the finest interpreters of the Romantic and early Twentieth Century Repertoire. He began practicing the piano at the age of six and gave his first concert at 11. He has recorded several CDs and performs regularly in internationally prestigious concert halls all over the world. He has performed about 1,000 concerts in 40 different countries, including the United States.
Attesti has served as Deputy Mayor and Counsellor of Culture and Tourism for the city of Cortona since 2019. Known for its wineries, Cortona is a historic city in the Tuscany area of Italy with landscapes of low mountains and lakes. In the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. Cortona was one of the 12 Etruscan cities, rich and prosperous, governed by powerful noble families and judges whose names can be found on monuments and other archaeological finds. The city, located in the province of Arezzo, is one of the most popular hilltop towns in Tuscany. The hilltop overlooks the Val di Chiana valley, guarded by the massive Etruscan walls. The picturesque hilltop with its spectacular views was the setting for the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun.
On May 23 of this year, Carmel and Cortona became official Sister Cities, signing an official agreement designed to promote international goodwill, understanding, student educational exchanges and expanded business relationships between the two cities and their respective nations. Cortona is Carmel’s fourth international Sister City. Earlier this year, the city entered into a similar relationship with the city of Jelgava, Zemgale, Latvia. Previously, Carmel established relationships with Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan, and Xiangyang, Hubei, China.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the Rotary Club of Carmel and the many local projects they support throughout the year.