Biography

The choir "Mantova inCanto" is a course of the New School of Music that was born in 1984 under the direction of Maestro Carlo Marenco with an initially classical address; since 1989 the Choir has been led by teacher Agnes Sarmiento, Maestro Romano Adami, Maestro Emanuele Mazzola, Maestro Alfredo Scalari, Maestro Matteo Ballisti and since 2018 Maestro Massimo Piccoli.

The choir "Mantova inCanto" offers a repertoire that ranges, in the field of classical music, from the '500 of Palestrina, through the Romanticism of Brahms up to the new and modern contrapuntal instances of Saint-Saens and Franck; this is also accompanied by a modern repertoire with excerpts from films and music.

Such an eclectic repertoire allows us to satisfy different entertainment needs, as is clear from the numerous concerts held, shows that have always had the aim of spreading musical culture in all its aspects, the primary objective of the Choir, supported by the love for Music.

Over the last few years the activity of "Mantova inCanto" has developed with numerous concerts at various institutions and realities in Mantua: for the Italian League for the Fight against Cancer, for the Mazzali Geriatric Institute, for Casa Pace, for the Casa del Sole, for the University of the third age and for the "Casa di Ros", a particularly interesting performance between readings of biblical passages and songs.

Since 2003 the choir "Mantova inCanto" has collaborated and still collaborates, with the Brigata Corale Tre Laghi with which it organizes every year, on the occasion of the feast of Pentecost, "The Breath of the Spirit", an event that expresses a deep religious sense, between the sacred and the profane.

In spring 2005 "Mantova inCanto" performed at Palazzo d'Arco on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Italia Nostra, presenting in particular some pieces of Renaissance music preceded by a historical and cultural illustration; also with the teachers and students of the New School of Music he took part in "Il fiato delle stelle" as part of the Mantova Musica Festival where a Renaissance and modern program was proposed.

The activity of the year 2005 ended with a large series of events at some welfare facilities in Mantua and the Province, under the patronage of the Department of Social Policies of the Province of Mantua, thus showing the attention that the Choir places on social problems and at the same time emphasizing the importance and educational function of Music.

The Spring-Summer 2006 for the Choir was particularly full of musical events: the group performed at the Casa del Mantegna on the occasion of the exhibition dedicated to the great painter, at Palazzo Costa, in the celebration of Pentecost with the Breath of the Spirit, at Casa Andreasi, at the Diocesan Museum in collaboration with the Association of Friends of Palazzo Te and the Mantuan Museums, at Palazzo S. Sebastiano for the event Città Estate. Several musical moments were also made on the occasion of Christmas in collaboration with Mantuan organizations and associations engaged in the social field (Retirement Homes, Prison, Villaggio S.Or.S, TamTam Disabled Center, Arca Solidarity Center, Father Favalli Missionary Group), in order to promote, also through music and singing, forms of solidarity aimed at mitigating the difficulties of disadvantaged people.

In 2007 the Choir continued the tradition of the review "Il Soffio dello Spirito", a Pentecost concert, but enriching it with another evening dedicated entirely to secular music at the Loggia del Grano as part of Mantova Musica festival; for the Event Città-Estate the choir performed at Palazzo Te.

In 2008 the Choir carried out two projects that have met with considerable success and interest from the public of the city and the province:

Music in the churchyard, a series of concerts of sacred music made in churches in the province linked to the Matildic events, starting from the Rotonda di S. Lorenzo to end in the Abbey of S. Benedetto;
Mantua to see and listen to, 2 times held at Palazzo Te, a concert realized as a sort of fusion between musical and visual art, in which the proposed pieces were accompanied by photographic projections of places, buildings, sacred and public, Mantovani, in direct artistic and historical relationship with the aforementioned songs.
In 2009 the Choir performed concerts mainly for cultural associations such as Italia Nostra and Casa Andreasi, voluntary associations "Insieme per l'Abruzzo", "Diritti in centro" and "Staffetta per le donne"; in December he dedicated himself to Christmas concerts in the towns of the province (Guidizzolo, Goito and Cittadella) and in institutions engaged in the social field.

In 2010 the choral commitments were divided between the sacred (feast of the Immaculate Conception in Montanara, the Breath of the Spirit for Pentecost and the project Prayers in Music, a concert brought to various churches in the city with the aim of attracting the attention and interest of the population and representatives of local authorities so that they can rediscover the value of buildings sometimes fallen into oblivion) and the profane (concert for the Oncology Department of the Hospital Carlo Poma and "L'uomo in Cammino" at Casa Andreasi in favor of the Farlottine Institute of Bologna.

At the end of the year, a series of Christmas concerts were organized in some churches and at welfare institutions.

In 2011 the Choir focused on the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy with the concerts "Note Risorgimentali" in S. Giorgio di Mantova and Palazzo S. Sebastiano with the accompaniment of the ElasticOrchestra; he also created the traditional Soffio dello Spirito and participated in the IX Autumn Choirs festival at Ciano d'Enza. For the Christmas period the Choir as usual, has made some concerts of the repertoire "Christmas together", in churches and welfare facilities in Mantua and province; a collaboration has begun with some high schools in the province, such as the Institute of Higher Education of Asola in which a mixed concert of pieces celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and others of a Christmas nature was presented.

In 2012 the rich repertoire of the Choir has allowed the realization of some concerts on the theme of Love (L'Amore é…) together with the ElasticOrchestra, in which modern songs and film soundtracks on the theme were also performed.

In 2013, in addition to the modern repertoire, Renaissance concerts were performed and participation in the event Grande Cuore dei Mantovani, organized by the Mantuan voluntary associations, in support of Mantuan families in economic difficulty, also began.

In 2014 the Choir participated in the initiative Il grande cuore dei Mantovani and in Mantova Magic Moments, a project aimed at publicizing the knowledge and flavors of Mantua and its territory with commercial and artisan companies in view of Expo 2015.

In 2015 it was significant to participate in events and concerts held as part of the events in honor of Matilde di Canossa, promoted by Usci Mantova in collaboration with the Mantuan episcopal curia. In addition, the "Mantova inCanto" was one of the choirs participating in the Conto Cento Canto Pace event held in the Arena di Verona, on the occasion of the hundred years since the Great War.

In 2016 and 2017 he performed at Palazzo Ducale in Mantua, as part of a project promoted by the USCI of Mantua l'Incanto a palazzo.

In 2018/19 the Choir performed in traditional Christmas concerts, at welfare institutions, created the traditional Il Soffio dello Spirito, and participated in the Music Festival with a concert at the Loggia del Grano.

In 2019-2020 the choir prepared the Mass of Léo Delibes and performed at the Basilica of St. Benedict on the occasion of the celebrations in honor of Giulio Romano. In addition, he opened a series of concerts for the animation of some moments of encounter between families and prisoners at the Prison of Mantua.