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After the standing ovation at Ravenna’s Pala De André, Riccardo Muti’s June 30 concert with the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra is set to reach Rai audiences. Built around dance as the hidden engine of music, the programme moved from Verdi’s dramatic orchestral power in Nabucco and I vespri siciliani to the Spanish colours of Manuel de Falla, marking the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, and the hypnotic crescendo of Ravel’s Boléro. The concert, already presented at the Granada Festival, confirmed once again Muti’s ability to reveal the refinement, complexity and theatrical force of the great orchestral repertoire.Following the great success of Riccardo Muti’s concert at the Pala De André in Ravenna, welcomed by a standing ovation, Rai will bring those extraordinary musical events to a wider audience with special broadcasts on Rai 1, Rai 5 and RaiPlay.

The long-standing collaboration between Ravenna Festival and Rai continues this year once again under the sign of Maestro Riccardo Muti. On Wednesday, July 8 at 11:15 p.m., Rai 1 will air the concert conducted by Muti on June 30 with the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra. The performance will also be available for two weeks on RaiPlay for free on-demand streaming and will be repeated on Rai 5 on Thursday, August 13 at 9:20 p.m.

Rai 5 will also dedicate four consecutive Thursday evenings, from July 9 to July 30 at around 10:20 p.m., to Cantare amantis est, a four-part documentary hosted by Jacopo Veneziani. The series revisits the first edition of the choral project held in Ravenna on June 1 and 2, 2025, when thousands of choristers from across Italy gathered for two intense days of lessons and rehearsals with Maestro Muti.

During the sessions of Cantare amantis est, conceived as an exceptional masterclass, Muti worked with singers of all ages and backgrounds on some of Verdi’s most celebrated choral pages, including “Patria oppressa!” from Macbeth, “Jerusalem!... Jerusalem!” from I Lombardi alla prima crociata and the timeless “Va’ pensiero” from Nabucco. In tribute to Italy’s Republic Day, the programme also included the national anthem, Inno di Mameli.

photo ZaniCasadio