“Once they pick up an instrument, they immediately start playing together. This is how the Under 13 Orchestra was born in Milan: because, as a group, it's easier to have learn by having fun. There is an undefinable human and artistic chemistry that springs up through the joy of playing as a team.'
In 2003, the practice of instrumental music within public schools becomes a reality. The Under 13 Orchestra project, created by the La Nuova Musica Foundation wins the Educarte tender, set up jointly by the Cariplo Foundation and the CRT Foundation for a three year (2004-2007) term, and obtains the patronage of the Milan City Council.
The Foundation La Nuova Musica has been legally recognized since 2011, while the Bologna venue has been recognized for the academic year 2014/2015 (n. 4982 of 11.04.2014) by the Director of Educational Services of the region of Emilila-Romagna.
Since 2001, the Foundation has led a number of projects in the field of musical training and education. It currently counts 20 schools in the Lombardia, Liguria and Emilia Romagna regions, with 2500 students per year engaged in extracurricular activities and approximately 2000 children participating in school-based projects led by the Foundation.
To date, there are 14 active U13O ‘nurseries’ in Lombardia, Emilia Romagna, Liguria and Piemonte and a Children’s Symphony Orchestra in Lombardia, complete in all of the sections, with over 100 young musicians between the ages of 8 and 15 who perform in the most important Italian theatres.
The life of the Under 13 Orchestra has been very active and rich in fruitful collaborations. Every young student participating in the orchestra is guided in the study of his parts by a tutor and unites with other participants for weekly sectional rehearsals and for monthly general rehearsals. Throughout the years, we have been joined young new faces, while others have moved on due to age restrictions, enriched by a wonderful experience that will remain with them throughout their lives.
The orchestra debuted in the Cariplo Foundation Auditorium of Milan in 2005 and have since performed every year in concerts and events organized for them by the La Nuova Musica Foundation. Their repertoire ranges from classical symphonies to personalised compositions written and created for them. They are directed, guided and followed in their every step by the Director, Sergio Delmastro, by the pedagogical lead, Alessandra Masiello and by all the section teachers. Over the years, the Orchestra’s curriculum has been enriched by numerous concerts in collaboration with important entities such as the Filarmonica della Scala, the Mito Festival, Fondazione Dynamo, Lilt, Amnesty International and many others, performing in some of the most prestigious Italian theatres.