In Alessandro De Marchi's farewell concert, French violist Antoine Tamestit will evoke the playing and resonant strings of the viola d'amore, the «love viola.» The Intendant of the Innsbruck Festival bids farewell after 14 years of successful and thrilling seasons with this special performance.

The centerpiece of the concert is Antonio Vivaldi, a violinist, composer, and educator who was instrumental in the development of the classical solo concerto form and a master of creating instrumental colors. His training ground was the orchestra of the Ospedale della Pietà, an ensemble consisting exclusively of girls and women, for which he was initially responsible as «maestro de’ violini» before officially assuming leadership of the ensemble in 1716 as «maestro de’ concerti.»

One of the many charms of the always well-attended performances of the Pietà orchestra was the use of rarely heard instruments, including the viola d'amore, an «arm viola» equipped with additional, partially only sympathetic strings, and various tunings. According to the violin school of the well-traveled Leopold Mozart, the viola d'amore «sounds especially lovely in the stillness of the evening.»

Alessandro De Marchi and internationally acclaimed virtuoso violist Antoine Tamestit promise to deliver an exceptional listening experience, creating a lingering effect that will carry on into a warm summer night.