The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, inaugurated last night at the Embassy a series of four evenings dedicated to Italian music in Washington, in collaboration with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Gianandrea Noseda.

Composer Nicola Campogrande, publisher Erich Hermann (Breitkopf & Härtel), and Maestro Noseda offered an interesting perspective on the new compositional frontiers of classical music. “Classical music surrounds us even when we don’t realize it, from TV themes to cellphone ringtones to film soundtracks, and within it, there is much that is Italian—starting with tempo markings, which also give the title to Nicola Campogrande’s work Decisamente Allegro, which will be performed in Washington in the coming days.”