July 16 – The pianist Laura Nocchiero, from Ragusa, also artistic director of Melodica’s international season, concluded in these days her tour of Japan. It was a return to the land of the east after last year she had performed in various concerts and held a master class. Nocchiero played the piano at the famous Tiara Koto-Hall in Tokyo in a concert supported by ENIT, the national tourism agency, who wanted to offer a cross-section of Italian talents in Japan. The musical program proposed by Nocchiero covered the best-known songs by Verdi, Puccini and Rossini. She also performed in another major concert planned by the Italian Cultural Institute and the Italian Embassy in Tokyo. Another concert was held at the Hall Meguro-Ku, Tokyo. This time, Nocchiero performed in duo with the Chinese musician Jia Peng Fang, erhu performer, of worldwide fame. The erhu, also known as the Chinese violin, is a traditional stringed instrument. Finally, Nocchiero’s last concert as a soloist took place at the prestigious Liszt Hall in Minami Awaji, near Kobe, organized by the Liszt Society.
