by InTrieste
The 26th edition of Muggia in Musica, a classical music series held in the peripheral churches of the Muggia area, continues on Saturday, September 20. Organized by the local Serenade Ensemble, the festival combines music, art, and history and has steadily grown in popularity over the years.
This year’s series, which also marks the 30th anniversary of the Serenade Ensemble, focuses on the classical repertoire for saxophone. Four free concerts are scheduled through September 27, highlighting the instrument’s original classical roots rather than its later association with jazz and popular music. “The saxophone, invented by the Frenchman Adolphe Sax in the mid-19th century, was conceived as a classical instrument,” said artistic director Andrea Sfetez. “Over the decades, blues and jazz gave it the rich, expressive sound we know today.”
Saturday’s program at the Church of Santa Barbara at 4:30 p.m. will feature the ŽPZ Prosek-Kontovel Women’s Choir, directed by Marko Stoka, performing a selection of traditional and reimagined folk songs. The musical performance will be interspersed with readings of Slovenian poetry by Professor Fiorella Benčič, as part of the festival’s “Pietre Parlanti” initiative, supported by the Comune di Muggia. A previously scheduled guided visit to Elleri with Professor Paolo Paronuzzi has been postponed to a later date in the fall.
The series will conclude on Saturday, September 27, at 8 p.m. in the Church of San Rocco, featuring a concert by young Trieste saxophonist Enrica Birsa and guitarist Mauro Pestel. Their program spans works from the 19th century to contemporary compositions.
All concerts are free and organized in collaboration with the local parishes of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, San Matteo di Zindis, and the Associazione Amici di Muggia Vecchia, with support from the Comune di Muggia.
2025 Program – Muggia in Musica
- September 6, 8 p.m., Santuario di Muggia Vecchia: Elias Faccio, saxophones; Gabriele Perrelli, piano
- September 13, 8 p.m., Chiesa di San Francesco: Fabrizio Paoletti, saxophone masterclass
- September 20, 4:30 p.m., Chiesa di Santa Barbara: ŽPZ Prosek-Kontovel Women’s Choir, literary readings by Fiorella Benčič
- September 27, 8 p.m., Chiesa di San Rocco: Enrica Birsa, saxophones; Mauro Pestel, guitar
All events are free to the public.
For more information: serenadeensemble-ts@libero.it
