Music of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

The Music of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol reflects the multilingual and multiethnic make-up of the region. The strong traditions of choral singing, village bands, and folk music are nurtured both by the Italian as well as German speakers of the area.

Musical venues and activities

Trentino

Historically, of course, the city of Trento has given its name to the Council of Trent, the conclave that started the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation in the mid-16th century. The city had, thus, a somewhat austere reputation as not being particularly given to the beginnings of commercial music and public theaters or other activities beyond the confines of ecclestiacal music.

The first commercial theatrical and musical ventures had to await the years following the incorporation of the region into the short-lived French satrapy called the Republic of Lombardy, set up by Napoleon in 1796. Even though that political entity did not survive Napoleon, himself, the anti-clerical social forces set in motion did. Thus, the first theater and public musical venue in the city of Trento was the Teatro Mazzurana (later renamed the Teatro Sociale), opened in 1819. For many years, it was the only venue for music or theater in the city. Failing fortunes led to its closure in 1983, but it was refurbished and reopened in the year 2000. It is now one of four auditoriums in the city, with the Auditorium, the Sperimentale, and the San Marco theater.

The city is also the site of the Bonporti music...
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