Saint Louis is an official partner of the 2024 edition of the “A Strip of Fruitful Earth” festival, conceived and directed by Paolo Damiani and Armand Meignan.
The festival now in its XXVII edition was born from the long-standing friendship of the two artistic directors: Paolo Damiani, musician, director of the French National Jazz Orchestra (2000-2002), artistic director of the Roccella Jonica “Rumori Mediterranei” festival (1982-2012), and Armand Meignan (Director and founder of the Le Mans festival, director since 2005 of the Nantes festival as well as founder and president of AFIJMA -AJC, a network of French festivals with more than 70 members, from its creation in 1993 until 2015).
The goal was to invent in Rome and Lazio a living space for those frontier musics that are difficult to classify or reduce to the narrow categories of genre.
An original and unique review: in fact, this is the first time that a festival has decided to circumscribe its field of investigation to just two European countries, Italy and France, focusing on the most established soloists and on young talents to be enhanced, as well as on original productions offered as premieres. Since 2024 A Strip has also opened up to European artists.
The concerts will take place in Rome at the Casa del Jazz, Auditorium Parco della Musica and in the Regional Multidisciplinary Cultural Hub Spazio Rossellini.
Other concerts are planned in Civitavecchia, in collaboration with ATCL. The Festival will also be hosted in Museums such as the Civic Museum of Zoology in Rome and the Chess Museum in Gallese (Viterbo), a choice that aims to enrich spaces designed for other functions with new content.
Artistic directors Paolo Damiani and Armand Meignan build each year a musical selection among the most deserving in the jazz scene.
Among this edition’s most notable artists are the return of the Italian Instabile Orchestra, the final concert of Giulia Damico’s 2024 Artist Residency with guest Régis Huby on violin. The True Story of Billie Holiday by Danilo Rea, Barbara Bovoli and Oona Rea.
Among the festival’s guest artists are some St. Louis ensembles: Miserere with Rosario Giuliani and MAc Saxophone Quartet, Francesca Feci and her project “Devotion,” and Flowing Chords, directed by Margherita Flore.
We find in programming a national premiere of contemporary dance and improvised music with the duo Elena Paparusso voice and electronics, Mariagiovanna Esposito dance with “Strange to meet you.”
In addition, the SIAE Award will host the winners of Top Jazz (Jazz Music) on stage, Michele Bonifati guitar, Sade Mangiaracina piano, Federica Michisanti double bass.
Among the many international guests are the duo of Gabriele Coen and Ziad Trabelsi with “Dialogues” and the trio Courtois/Erdmann/Fincker, Henri Texier, Urbano Barberini and Silvia Manco.
The festival will conclude on Dec. 8 with a special concert by Javier Girotto Aires Tango celebrating 30 years of training.
Saint Louis students are eligible for a 50 percent reduction on the full price of all events of the “A Strip of Fruitful Earth” festival.
