The Orchestra Galilei is a symphonic ensemble of young and talented instrumentalists made up of students enrolled in the Academic courses at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. Since the early 1990s, it has offered them the opportunity to gain high-level orchestral experience, performing for leading concert organisations including Amici della Musica di Perugia, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Società del Quartetto di Milano and the Anima Mundi Festival in Pisa.
The Orchestra had the honour of working alongside Carlo Maria Giulini during his conducting course at the School, which was subsequently continued by Daniele Gatti and Gabriele Ferro. Among the conductors who have led the ensemble are Salvatore Accardo, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Alan Curtis, Giampaolo Pretto and Federico Maria Sardelli. Nicola Paszkowski directed the ensemble’s activities for many years, conducting the complete cycle of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos in honour of Maria Tipo (2002), as well as numerous masterpieces of sacred music, including César Franck’s rarely performed symphonic poem Rédemption. The Orchestra has made numerous recordings for ARTS, Brilliant, La Fenice and NBB Records.
Among its most recent symphonic projects and opera productions, under the direction of Edoardo Rosadini, are Schubert’s Messa D.950, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Stravinsky’s Mavra, scenes from Verdi’s Falstaff, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.
In November 2022, the Orchestra inaugurated the new Teatro di Fiesole, with Alexander Lonquich as soloist and conductor.The Orchestra’s activities are supported by Fondazione CR Firenze.