A concert marking the 214th anniversary of the Argentine May Revolution and the 78th anniversary of the Day of the Italian Republic was held at the capital's Conservatory
On June 1, 2024, the P. I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine hosted an arts event marking the 214th anniversary of the Argentine May Revolution and the 78th anniversary of the Day of the Italian Republic, dedicated to the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. This joint project was carried out on the initiative and with the support of the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Ukraine, with the support of the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute
On June 1, 2024, the P. I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine hosted an arts event marking the 214th anniversary of the Argentine May Revolution and the 78th anniversary of the Day of the Italian Republic, dedicated to the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla.
This joint project was carried out on the initiative and with the support of the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Ukraine, with the support of the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Ukraine, in cooperation with the P. I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine.
The arts event of the friendly states of Italy and Argentina was a major display of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and a significant example of cultural diplomacy.
At the beginning of the concert, the anthems of Italy, Argentina and Ukraine were performed by the Orchestra of Folk Instruments under the direction of Honored Artist of Ukraine Andrii Ivanysh.
Welcoming remarks to the audience were delivered by the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to Ukraine, Ms. Elena Letizia Teresa Mukusinski, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to Ukraine, Pier Francesco Zazo, and the acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Rostyslav Karandieiev.
In her speech, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic to Ukraine, Ms. Elena Letizia Teresa Mukusinski, dwelt in detail on the shared history of Argentina and Italy in organizing this cultural event.
Between 1847 and 1957, Argentina received about 3 million Italian immigrants, and an estimated 60% of the population
of Argentina has Italian origins. Argentina is the country in Latin America with the largest number of Italian immigrants, ranking second on the American continent after the U.S.
In addition, Argentina has the largest Italian community on its territory, followed by Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and France. Fifteen percent of Italians who settled abroad live in Argentina.
In fact, Manuel Belgrano, the general and national hero who played one of the most important roles in Argentina's path to independence, when the first national government was formed in May 1810, and who became the creator of the Argentine flag, was the son of an Italian immigrant from the province of Imperia in the Liguria region.
The list of Argentine presidents of Italian descent is no less significant: Bartolomé Mitre, Carlos Pellegrini, Arturo Frondizi, Arturo Illia, Mauricio Macri and our current president Javier Milei.
And the number of well-known people, artists, scholars, scientists and athletes is countless, including Pope Francis, Juan Manuel Fangio, Clorindo Testa and, among others, our dear Astor Piazzolla,” – the diplomat noted.
The Ambassador also expressed her deep admiration for the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian nation: “As you know, Argentina voted against Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in all UN General Assembly resolutions and at international forums. We take part in two working groups of President Zelenskyy's ‘Peace Formula’.”
For his part, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine, Pier Francesco Zazo, noted in his speech that Astor Piazzolla “was not only regarded as one of the most outstanding composers of the 20th century thanks to his unique tango works, which also contain elements of jazz and classical music, but was also a descendant of an Italian family in Argentina, and his compositions interweave Italian roots with the Argentine soul, symbolizing the unbreakable friendship between the two nations, united by a passion for music and culture.”
A musical gift for the guests was the performance of the world-famous Italian bandoneon player Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, accompanied by a string quintet and the Academy's orchestra of bayan players under the baton of artistic director and conductor Yosyp Frants.
The maestro Pietrodarchi captivated the audience with his virtuoso playing and unrivaled style of embodying the character of each piece, performing works by the legendary Argentine musician and composer Astor Piazzolla as well as by equally legendary Italian composers – Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and Nicola Piovani.
Argentina recognized Ukraine on December 5, 1991. Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Argentina were established on January 6, 1992. The Argentine embassy in Ukraine opened in May 1993.
Italy recognized Ukraine's independence on December 28, 1991. Diplomatic relations with the Italian Republic were established on January 29, 1992.