Mauro Valenti
Mauro Valenti, President of Fondazione Arezzo Wave Italia
For us, Europe has never been just an institution. It has always been about people meeting through music.
In the 1990s, when Arezzo Wave had become one of Europe’s biggest festivals for emerging artists, we received two letters of support from Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission, and another from his successor, Jacques Santer, also President of the European Commission. They recognised Arezzo Wave as a place where young Europeans could meet, discover each other and grow together through music. We have never forgotten those words, and more than thirty years later we still believe they describe the true mission of Arezzo Wave.
Today, Arezzo Wave has different dimensions compared to those years, but in many ways our mission is even stronger.
Rather than focusing mainly on big names, we dedicate most of our energy to discovering and supporting new artists. Through our network across all Italian regions, every year we give hundreds of young musicians the opportunity to perform, grow and begin their professional careers. We also work on training, international exchanges, social inclusion and projects that use music to build bridges between people. Over the last three years, for example, we have continued to welcome Ukrainian artists because we believe that culture must keep dialogue alive, even in difficult times.
Looking at Europe today, we are concerned by the growth of nationalist movements and by a climate that too often creates division instead of bringing people together. This makes the role of culture and festivals even more important.
Perhaps Europe should invest even more in independent festivals that discover new talent and create real connections between young people. Big festivals are important, but independent festivals are often where artists take their first steps and where the European spirit is experienced in its most authentic way.
We are proud to have been part of the YOUROPE family since its inception, and we remain committed to contributing to this shared European vision.
Courtesy of YOUROPE - The European Festival Network.
Also published in YOUROPE’s dedicated ’About Europe’ website section.
