To accompany Pope Leo XIV’s arrival at St Peter’s Square, the first movement of Mozart’s *Eine kleine Nachtmusik*, K. 525, was also performed – played on Mozart’s original Costa violin.
The Bella Musica Ensemble’s tour of Italy follows in the footsteps of one of the most formative journeys of Mozart’s life. Together with his father Leopold, the 13-year-old Wolfgang Amadé Mozart set off on his first major tour of Italy in December 1769. Verona, Bologna, Milan and Rome became key stages in his artistic development. In Rome, Mozart encountered a world of music, art, the Church and European culture – thereby laying important foundations for his future career as a composer.
256 years later, the Bella Musica Ensemble is setting out on this journey once again. For the young musicians of the Mozarteum University’s Pre-College programme, the journey is far more than just a concert tour: it combines musical training with visits to historic sites and cultural institutions. Mozart’s music comes to life in the very places where it once inspired the young composer himself.
The journey takes on a special dimension thanks to Mozart’s two original instruments, which the International Mozarteum Foundation has made available for the concerts. The fact that young musicians from the Bella Musica Ensemble are able to play on Mozart’s own violins brings history to life. The instruments thus link three generations of musical life: Mozart himself, the training of young musicians today, and the contemporary audience.
The soloist Shuxuan Jin, who is just ten years old, gave a brilliant performance of the first movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto K. 216 in G major at the Vatican, playing on Mozart’s children’s violin. “How does it feel to play on such a unique instrument?” Vatican News asked the young musician. “Well, it feels as if I were Mozart. I enjoy it very much and it gives me immense pleasure every time. And every note just feels wonderful.”
Unsurprisingly, Mozart is one of Shuxuan’s favourite composers. The Shanghai-born violinist practises for up to four hours a day at home. She is accompanied on her tour by her mother, who is a trained pianist herself.
The Bella Musica Ensemble will also be performing at the Cultural Forum of the Republic of Austria in Rome. This turns the tour into an encounter between musical education, the promotion of Austrian culture and European cultural dialogue.
