Written in Partnership with Victoria Kennedy
Satin gowns, dim lighting, lavish table settings, and a breathtaking view greet my eyes as I step into the garden at the large Villa Bocelli estate in Forte dei Marmi. Tonight’s classical performance will feature HAUSER, Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Mikhail Shekhtman, Daria Rybak, and Andrea Bocelli himself. I take my seat, grateful to breathe in the fresh air around me and be treated to a delectable dinner to accompany such a gorgeous display of class and culture.
The exclusive nature of this event during the Big Art Festival this summer is not to be taken lightly. I am actually in the great Andrea Bocelli’s home. After something so wildly segregating and yet bonding as the Covid-19 lockdown, the private nature of this curated event feels both warmly inviting and subtly taboo.
I am here to listen and learn, and am thrilled to report that I speak to most of the esteemed performers during the event.
The Big Art Festival, founded and organized by Jorge Iglesias and Maxim Berin, of Berin Iglesias Art, is a celebration of classical music antiquity and modern employment that takes place all over Europe, Latin America, and the United States. The Festival is expanding to Monaco, Capri, Dubai, Bodrum, Courchevel, Istanbul, Saint-Tropez, Marbella, London, Cyprus, Porto Cervo, Forte dei Marmi, Mykonos, and Budva.
Big Art Festival has an annual theme; this year’s is Serata Italiana (Italian Evening). The expansive event began on July 20th, 2022, at Capri Palace Jumeirah, Anicapri, featuring Andrea Bocelli, Jamie Cullum, Keti Topuria, and Baygali Serkbaev.
Serata Italiana: The Night Begins
Acquiring tickets to a Big Art event, especially at Villa Bocelli, is an honor. Now here in this palatial setting, I cannot wait to experience this Italian night of what promises to be enchanting musical performances.
When Anna Netrebko comes on stage everyone bursts out in applause — we were all waiting for Anna.
She opens with a quiet, soft song, a-typical for concert performances, “Morgen!, Op. 27, No. 4,” which means ‘morning’ in German. When she sings it, in its simplicity, everyone is on the edge of their seats. I am so overwhelmed with the power and grace in which she is performing, I start to cry. It was worth the entire concert just to hear her sing that one song in perfect unison with the talented pianist, Mikhail Shekhtman. Tthe beauty of his playing, his majesty, gives chills to us all. They feed off each other beautifully and the dynamics showcase the incredible musicianship of the performers.
As a classical crossover composer and singer myself, I am inspired and awed by those lucky stars who get to sing for their lives and livelihood — something to which I have recently ventured back. I think that is part of what makes each individual performance so captivating: When I sing for an audience, I can’t help but feel immense, soul-tugging gratitude for the opportunity I have to perform.
In fact, in speaking with HAUSER about his performance, he had this to say: “This setting is so intimate, which makes it more special. I like to see the audience and the reactions in their eyes. It inspires me! It is like a drug for me, I get high on music. I love performing with other artists like this; being able to share that energy with other musicians. The variety is intoxicating.”
HAUSER plays his cello, a sensual concert that tugs at all of our heartstrings and gets us dancing.
Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov, operatic power couple, return to Big Art Festival this year, sharing their passion for each other and the musical arts with our modestly-sized group of enraptured fans. I say this not only because it is true, but because the duo gifts to us a compilation of only their favorite melodies. One cannot not become a fan in such a situation, but everyone in this attendance knows and loves this couple’s melodies well.
Speaking with Anna and Yusif after their performance, I ask them their opinions on classical crossover.
“Classical crossover is fun, but my life is opera,” Anna tells me. “I do not change my voice for crossover, I sing how I sing.”
Yusif, on the other hand, feels differently: “I want to sing more classical crossover because it’s fun and new people come to classical crossover that never come to opera. My hope is that classical crossover is their gateway to opera, but at the same time the diversity in performance attendees is what makes what I do so exciting.”
More than Music
In addition to the beauty lent to my ears this evening, I am able to speak with various fellow classical lovers and caretakers of the musical arts. Everywhere I turn, each person has something valuable to say or a thought-provoking question to ask. I am honored to chat over coffee with the men of the hour, Jorge Iglesias and Maxim Berin.
“Big Art events are great places to network because the same target audience likes to buy luxury brands and spend money on interesting or worthwhile things,” Iglesias says. “It is a very interesting, formal partnership that creates incredible connections between people of similar calibers.”
“Yes,” Berin adds. “At a high-level ticket price, the crowd becomes full of repeat attendees. It is a networking experience, a small gathering. People understand that if they want to work at the same level, they also want to experience a quality event with fashion and music.”
Big Art stands for the most exclusive events, luxury, red carpets, popping flashlights, celebrities, and a passion for art. The festival is organized in cooperation with the top five-star hotels. The events are especially designed for the VIP guests they address and guarantee unforgettable evenings among friends at the most beautiful places on the planet.
The festival format includes a gala dinner served at lavishly decorated tables and stage technique of the highest standards. The programme can embrace different formats such as a concert of a famous pop star, a stand-up comedy show, or even a gala concert with several soloists and bands. The collaborative, melding nature of Big Art is one of the reasons I hope to return time and again — and I hear from some quite reliable sources that Miami could be next.
Bocelli himself, an absolute fixture in the classical and classical-crossover community, enters the space in perfect humble magnificence, and I am both starstruck and simultaneously curious as to how this fantastical event originated in his castle-like abode.
According to Berin, this is one part happy accident and one part dream come true: “Andrea’s dream was to perform just once in his life with Anna. There wasn’t a connection because of their different styles of singing. I found this out and connected them. Turns out she wanted to sing with him too. So they met in Florence and had a big concert in Moscow in a palace with 6,000 seats. It was the highest grossing concert ever. It was incredible.
“At the last minute, their next concert was canceled because of Covid-19. But it was so special to Andrea that he offered to hold the show in his garden, and the rest is history.”
After a night like this, I do not want to leave.
Those interested in attending the many upcoming Big Art events may visit https://berin-iglesias.art
About Victoria Kennedy
Victoria Kennedy is a Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author, TEDx speaker, and well-respected authority in public relations. She is the CEO of Victorious PR, an award-winning, multi-million dollar PR agency that has helped dozens of entrepreneurs become the #1 Authority in their niche by getting them featured in top podcasts and press. (To gain more credibility and authority in your market, click here: https://victoriouspr.com)
About Big Art Festival
Big Art stands for the most exclusive events, luxury, red carpets, popping flashlights, celebrities, and a passion for art. The festival is organized in cooperation with the top five-star hotels. The events are especially designed for the VIP guests they address and guarantee unforgettable evenings among friends at the most beautiful places on the planet.
BIG ART is expanding: The festival currently takes place in Monaco, Capri, Dubai, Bodrum, Courchevel, Istanbul, Saint-Tropez, Marbella, London, Cyprus, Porto Cervo, Forte dei Marmi, Mykonos and Budva.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.