Exclusive: Giovanni Antonini, conductor

In a short series, we ask our artists what they think about our motto “Sehnsucht Natur. Musical Landscapes”

What does nature mean to you?

I grew up in Milan. Nature is more like a dream for me. I don’t even know the names of famous trees, except of course the olive tree and the pine. But it would be nice to know more about nature.

In Klosters you will conduct Joseph Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation”. What is your favorite natural sound in it – and why? 

“Das Gewürm” is a great passage in Raphael’s recitative. But above all, I really like when the flutes imitate the birds’ voices, as in Gabriel’s aria “Auf starkem Fittiche schwinget sich der Adler stolz.”

What do you associate with Klosters and its alpine landscape?

Actually, mountains don’t mean much to me, but maybe that will change in the summer in Klosters. I love the sea above all.

You were born in Milan. Are you a city kid or a country boy? 

I’m definitely a city boy!

Livestream Concert: Haydn’s “Il Maestro di scuola”
Recording from May 19, 2023, Don Bosco Basel

As a small foretaste of this summer, we would like to recommend last weekend’s concert with the Basel Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Giovanni Antonini.