The Orchestra of the University of Pisa was formed in the 2010/2011 academic year on the initiative of Prof. Carolyn Gianturco (who maintained its coordination until 2014) and is made up of students from numerous courses of the University; participation is also open to teachers and staff members, as well as to foreign students, coming from the Erasmus program and also from non-EU countries (such as, for example, the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Switzerland).
In 2015, the coordination of the Orchestra was entrusted to Prof. Maria Antonella Galanti, who maintained it until her early death in June 2021. Together with the Choir of the University of Pisa, since 2021 the Orchestra belongs the Polo Musicale “Maria Antonella Galanti”, whose manager is currently Prof. Maria Letizia Gualandi; it is part of the new Center for Innovation and Dissemination of Culture (CIDIC).
The Orchestra is conducted by M° Manfred Giampietro and made its debut in autumn 2011 in the Aula Magna Nuova of Sapienza, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. During the musical season, the Orchestra presents three full-force concerts (at the Teatro Verdi or at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Pisa). Often, she accompanies the Choir in the traditional Christmas Concert. The Orchestra has progressively and constantly expanded its staff, which has seen the instrumental team reach 80/90 performers. It has continued to pursue the study of the great historical-musical traditions, from the baroque-classical to the symphonic poems of the 19th century, without however exempting itself from dealing with works by great authors of the “short century” (Debussy, Gershwin, Márquez, Ravel , etc.) or concerts with a soloist. This “classical” repertoire has recently been joined by that taken from cinematographic and videogame music, thus contributing to a work of diversification of the cultural offer for the university community, citizens and the territory: much appreciated, for example, have been the Fantasy (k)night concerts in May 2018 and Symphonic Games in June 2019, taken respectively from the successful series of video games Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, as well as the two soundtrack concerts The notes of the Oscars, the second of which carried out in the suggestive setting of Piazza dei Cavalieri.
The students – Italian and foreign – and the teachers have found an opportunity for happy integration into the academic community, also thanks to fruitful cultural exchanges. The orchestra took part in the International Symposium of University Choirs and Orchestras, organized by the Free University of Bolzano and held from 26th to 28th November 2015 in Bressanone and Bolzano, and also participated, together with orchestras from all over Europe, at the European Student Orchestra Festival which was held in Strasbourg from 6th to 10th June 2018: it is a member of ENUO (European Network of University Orchestras) as part of an international exchange project. The team was also the protagonist of pioneering experimental events, such as the interactive concert “Music and new technologies”, which involved the synchronization of two distant locations through the LoLa system, developed by the Trieste Conservatory “G. Tartini” with the GARR Consortium (to date, the only A/V streaming system recognized and adopted on a global scale, which allows, thanks to its very low latency, complete remote interaction in real time between musicians). Finally, the Orchestra has also, in recent years, continued to practice a musical activity linked to the ordinary academic ceremonial, to congresses, conventions and/or to the initiatives of various associations or institutions, even external to the University, which have solicited its participation (among others: “Verdi” Theater, Rotary Club, Cisanello and “Santa Chiara” Hospitals, FAI, Bright – Researchers’ Night, “Palazzo Blu” Museum Foundation, Robotics Festival, Municipality of Pisa, Casa district “Don Bosco”). During the year, the Orchestra participates, also with chamber ensembles, in numerous events, often invited by local universities and cultural institutions.
