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Pictures: Venice collides with Monaco at Dreaming in Azur charity gala

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/10/2022

The Hôtel Hermitage was plunged into the fantastical world of Venice for Dreaming in Azur on Saturday night, an exclusive charity gala in aid of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. We spoke to its artistic director Antonia Sautter. 

Antonia Sautter is the creative mind behind Il Ballo del Doge, an extravagant gala event held exclusively during the Venice Carnival every February, in which she combines the creative arts, costume, fabrics and her love of Venice and its history.

At her Atelier in the small island city, more than 1,200 creations are kept: period costumes that cross history from the Middle Ages to the 1920s, and stage costumes born from Sautter’s fantasties, specially created for artists over a period spanning more than 20 editions of Il Ballo del Doge.

She is, perhaps, one of Venice’s best ambassadors.

Dreaming in Azur, photo credit: Philippe Fitte / FPA2

In 1999, she was selected by Stanley Kubrick to make the masks used in his cinematic masterpiece Eyes Wide Shut. As part of her events company, she was asked to create an Eyes Wide Shut-themed party. It was a wife’s gift to her husband.

Antonia Sautter – the artistic director, fashion designer, and event planner, was recently voted by Forbes as one of the top 100 successful Italians.

Now, for the first time, Antonia Sautter has brought her creative talents to Monaco for Dreaming in Azur, a gala dinner organised by The Venetian Arts Foundation for the benefit of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and featuring special guest, renowned singer and songwriter MIKA.

“I am so excited, you can’t even imagine,” Antonia Sautter told Monaco Life from her Venice atelier ahead of the gala. “In a matter of days, we will be on the most beautiful stage at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monaco for Prince Albert. It is such an honour, I can’t even describe it in words – I am beyond excited and honoured.”

Dreaming in Azur, photo credit: Philippe Fitte / FPA2

A team of 80 made the short trip from Venice, in northern Italy, to Monaco. Among them: artists, performers, seamstresses, staff. The evening saw no less than 100 costume changes. The Queen of the Sea was the overriding theme, in honour of Prince Albert’s mission in life and the work of his Foundation.

The Venetian Arts Foundation, which aims to protect and promote the figurative and musical arts with a focus on Venetian talents, had chosen Venetian-born Antonia Sautter as artistic director of the show for the first charity and cultural event organised by the foundation on Saturday 1st October at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo. All of the proceeds raised will be donated to support coastal resilience and marine protection projects, an initiative promoted by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

“We are pleased to announce that the first cultural event organised by our foundation, to benefit the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, boasts an important charitable scope: fundraising to support specific projects of the well-known Monegasque foundation to protect coastal resilience and to raise awareness on climate change and the rise of the seas,” said Daniela Di Giorgio and Filippo Ghirelli, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and founders of the Venetian Arts Foundation.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase a spectacle by one of the most talented Venetian artists, Antonia Sautter, a global symbol of Made in Venice, to an international audience. It represents for our Foundation a very happy official debut, in accordance with our primary mission that is to promote Italian artistic and cultural excellence all over the world. “

Filippo Ghirelli and Daniela Di Giorgio, founders of the Venetian Arts Foundation, credit: Philippe Fitte / FPA2

Antonia Sautter uses silks and velvets to reinterpret ancient techniques of dyeing and printing by hand. She is overwhelmingly passionate about her city of Venice and is excited at the new link the Venetian Arts Foundation has forged with the Principality.

“Dreaming in Azur symbolises the closeness of Venice to Monaco,” said Antonia Sautter. “An elegant tribute with great emotional impact, which can unite these two similar cities in sharing a fragile beauty, given their links to the sea. I believe that Venice – with its history, atmosphere, and peculiar ‘liquid soul’ that I will stage with Dreaming in Azur – could really help us reflect on the effects of climate change and on what we, as humanity, could lose forever. I hope that the dreamlike immersion in its beauty that I created together with the artists of Il Ballo del Doge will concretely contribute to the charitable purpose of the evening, to remind all guests to contribute to the fight against rising sea level.”

A 2021 report published in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences suggested that the average sea level could be anywhere from 17cm to 120cm higher in Venice by 2100. “These are the effects of climate change,” Venice’s Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in response to the 2019 floods. “The costs will be high.”

Prince Albert II with singer songwriter Mika at Dreaming in Azur. Photo credit: Philippe Fitte / FPA2

The Dreaming in Azur charity gala took the place of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser – the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health – which was postponed this year due to the war in Ukraine.

It means that important donations continue to be funnelled into the Prince’s Foundation, even during times of political turmoil.

“Thanks to the Venetian Arts Foundation, we will be able to strengthen our efforts in favour of coastal resilience, a common issue between Venice and Monaco, but also for many cities around the world,” said Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

“That is why the Foundation has launched an initiative dedicated to the Nexus Ocean-Climate-Biodiversity: we namely support pathways for mitigation of climate impacts and adaptation. We also federate experts, scientists, entrepreneurs and mayors of cities most at risk around innovative solutions.”

Antonia Sautter told Monaco Life that she hopes this is the start of a long relationship with the Principality.

 “I am very happy with this collaboration and I really hope there will be other occasions to present this work in Monaco,” said the artistic director. “Every time I do a show, it is a new world.”

 

Click on the gallery to see more images below, photos credit Philippe Fitte / FPA2…

 

Photo above of Antonia Sautter amongst performer of Dreaming in Azur, credit: Osvaldo Di Pietrantonio

 

SEE ALSO:

Exclusive interview with Prince Albert II on the rise of sustainable yachting

 

 

 

 

Monte-Carlo Ballet reveals ambitious schedule

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/10/2022

The 2022-23 season of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo is returning in an incredibly strong way with an impressive line up and a “major surprise” for the end of the season.

Jean-Christophe Maillot, long-time Artistic Director of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, has a clear purpose for the upcoming season. He is determined to get people out of the Covid mindset and back into the theatres, and as his company’s press release states, to “restore choreographic art to the very forefront of the cultural landscape”.

To that end, and to open the season in style, the Gaithersburg Dance/Dance Compagnie Theatrehaus Stuttgart will perform 7 Sins on 10th December at the Salle Garnier, bringing together seven contemporary choreographers. Each has been charged with taking a mortal sin and turning it into a dance routine, combining dark and light in one night.

Then on 12th December, Indian dance sensation Shantala Shivalingappa will bring an eastern flair to the stage, followed on the 14th by the Kors’la Company’s haunting interpretation of Igra featuring Mattia Russo and Antonio de Rosa.

TheSevenSins, photo credit: Cherkaoui JeanetteBak

After the 2014 success of Sienna, La Veronal is back with Sonoma on 16th December. Described as “visual poetry and a primal scream”, dancers sway to the beat of drums and reconnect with the origins of universal movement in an entirely enticing way.

The Monaco Dance Forum is also back in December and will offer workshops and master classes, as well as performing a touching show for schools on the 15th using dance as an expression of joy and inclusion for people with disabilities.

As a special treat for film buffs, West Side Story will be screened on the 18th in

collaboration with the Audio Visual Institute of Monaco.

To end the year on a serious high, from the 27th to the 31st, Monte-Carlo Ballet is bringing Faust to the stage in a spectacle worthy of a year’s end. The Philharmonic Orchestra of Monte-Carlo will accompany them for these special nights.

As the New Year dawns, the momentum continues with a diverse programme, including La Belle by Jean-Christophe Maillot in the spring, featuring dancer Olga Smirnova, the Princess Grace Academy Gala, a Stravinsky tribute, and Maillot’s enchanting take on Cinderella.

As promised, a big surprise awaits in July when, on the 8th and 9th, the second edition of F(ê)Aries de la Danse returns to Casino Square, with 24 hours of parades, open air shows, workshops and exchanges with artists from around the globe.

Finally, the troupe has announced it is going back on tour, hitting cities such as Tokyo, Washington, Madrid, Brescia, Seville, Istanbul, Bari, Toulon, Nice, Venice and Barcelona.

For more information and tickets, visit the website on www.balletsdemontecarlo.mc

 

 

Photo above: Swayambhu, credit: Hector Perez

 

 

 

Take a trip to Spain at the Condamine food market

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/09/2022

The Monaco Mairie is organising several special events at the Monte-Carlo Market over the coming weeks, including a Spanish-themed lunch featuring delicious food and drinks.

Spend a day in Spain without leaving the Principality on 24th September when the Town Hall of Monaco invites the public to the Monte-Carlo Market for a day of food and fun.

In addition to the already wonderful selection of traders on site, there will be exhibitors offering specialities such as paella, sangria and a multitude of other Iberian products. The food will be available for take-away from 11am, and for those who prefer to relax and eat on-site, meals will be served from 12pm.

Other upcoming market events include the Forager’s Market (Marché des Cueilleurs) coming on 8th October, when mushrooms and chestnuts will be on offer, as well at a Regional Wine and Cheese Market coming on 22nd October.

Access to the market is free and the day runs from 8am until 2pm.

 

Photo by Young Shih on Unsplash

 

 

 

Fall in Love (again) with Monte-Carlo

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/09/2022

The Casino Café de Paris came alive on Thursday night with a gravity-defying pianist and a dazzling display of entertainment as loyalty customers were invited to Fall in Love (again) with Monte-Carlo.

If there is one thing Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer knows how to do well, it is throw a party, and that’s exactly what it did for members of the My Monte-Carlo loyalty programme on Thursday 16th September.

“The purpose behind tonight is to bond with the clients again,” Daniel Lovazzani, Chef de département Exploitation Appareils Automatiques, told Monaco Life. “In 2018 and 2019 there were two evenings of this kind… Winter Chic and La Dolce Vita. But we had to stop because of the pandemic. So, everybody was craving another evening like this.”

In keeping with its Great Art of Gaming philosophy, SBM organised a Roaring Twenties evening with eclectic entertainment, free-flowing champagne, surprises, gifts and games.

“We have the best customers in the world here, we have high rollers, we have the best slot machines in the world with jackpots of over one million euros,” said Lovazzani.

Fall in Love with Monte-Carlo night at the Casino Café de Paris, photo courtesy SBM

The evening was designed to reward loyal customers who live in Monaco and the surrounding region.

Fourteen artists covered in diamonds distributed “nuggets” to customers, two of which were pure gold. Human paintings by Frida Kahlo, Arcimboldo, and Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer wandered among guests. There was also a musical show choreographed in red and black, while “photorazzi” captured guests on the red carpet.

Tickets for the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival were also distributed during the evening.

The My Monte-Carlo loyalty program has nearly 91,000 members and is open to customers of casinos and all Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer establishments. It includes participation in exceptional evenings, such as this, as well as other privileges.

 

Photo above by Monaco Life, photos below courtesy Monte-Carlo SBM…

 

 

 

 

Monte Carlo Opera season 2023 unveiled by new director, Cecilia Bartoli

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/09/2022

It was a packed house at the Opera Garnier on Friday 16th September as opera singer Cecilia Bartoli presented the upcoming schedule for the Opera de Monte-Carlo, her first as director.

“It is with great joy that I present you my first season as director of the Monte Carlo Opera,” said Cecilia Bartoli during the presentation at the Salle Garnier. “I would like to think that it reflects the soul of this prestigious theatre, as I see it: a careful look at history but turned towards the future, a variety of styles and genres, glamour, grandeur, but also proximity; and of course the highest standards in the quality of performance, guaranteed in particular by the presence of some of the greatest names in our profession.”

Bartoli said that it was important for her to create “continuity”, and to build on the foundations of success laid by her predecessor Jean-Louis Grinda, who was also part of the 2023 season presentation.

The director, a renowned opera singer herself, then presented the 2023 programme, a journey from Monteverdi to Giordano, from 1607 to the late 19th century.

“In many ways, the passage also reflects my personal voyage, and I am proud that many of the artists I have had the pleasure of working with over the years are joining and supporting me in this new adventure, a major step in my life.”

Cecilia Bartoli, Opera de Monte Carlo, photo credit: Fabrice Demessence

Cecilia Bartoli will kick of the season starring in Alcina for four shows from 20th January, a musical drama in three acts with music by George Frideric Handel.

This will be followed by a “concert of the heart” of Stabat Mater for one night only on 25th January, featuring tenor Celso Albelo and soprano Maria Agresta.

In February, the Opera Andrea Chénier will be performed over four nights, an historic drama with Jonas Kaufman performing the role of Chénier.

Daniel Barenboim will take to the stage for a piano concert on 10th March. Born in Buenos Aires, Barenboim is described as a true citizen of the world whose artistic ventures are as varied as his cultural influences.

The melodramatic opera La Traviata, a Jean-Louis Grinda production created in 2013, returns for four nights in March as “a symbol of harmonious handover of power and a sign of true understanding”, according to the opera. These performances will also be an opportunity to celebrate the return of Placido Domingo to a stage he last walked on as a singer in 1980.

On 20th March, the Vienna Philharmonic will give a unique performance of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Phillip Jordan.

By April, the Il Barbiere di Siviglia opera will feature on the Monegasque stage, a production by the Festival of Salzbourg. On 20th February 1816, just as Carnival week was approaching its climax, Giachino Rossini’s Il Barberie di Siviglia had its (eventful) premiere at Teatro Argentina in Rome. Delighting in masks and disguise, parody and the grotesque, it is permeated through and through with the spirit of carnival.

Ending the season on 17th April is the marionette opera L’Orfeo, going back to the beginnings of the history of opera. Thanks to the 200-year-old puppet company Carlo Colla & Figli, L’Orfeo, created in 1607, will appear for the first time in Monte Carlo in a form that will appeal to the most demanding music lovers, as well as the youngest spectators.

Season subscription and individual ticket pre-booking is now open by internet at www.opera.mc and mail. Former subscribers have priority on 30th September.

From Wednesday 2nd November 2022, ticket bookings will be open by telephone, at the box office and on montecarloticket.mc.

Photo above credit: Marco Borrelli, OMC

 

 

 

Princess Grace Theatre announces 2022-23 season line-up

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/09/2022

The Princess Grace Theatre’s new season opens in October with a huge schedule of exciting events, including a performance by French singer Vanessa Paradis.

The Princess Grace Theatre has unveiled its calendar with over 32 performances, including such timeless classics as comedies by Oscar Wilde with The Importance of Being Ernest and Shakespeare’s As You Like It, as well as star turns with Charlotte Rampling lecturing on Shakespeare-Bach and Mom by Samuel Benchetrit with Vanessa Paradis, and film events such as the one featuring Orson Welles as Falstaff, amongst the many highlights.

The jam-packed schedule certainly has many familiar titles, but also a number of new creations to discover written by up and comers on the scene, which are sure to become instant classics in their own rights, such as Friendly Advice with Christian Vadim, Marie Fugain and Manuel Gelin, and an immersive concert set to the George Orwell book 1984.

“We are a stage open to everyone, especially to quality,” said Françoise Gamerdinger, Director of the Princess Grace Theatre. “It’s a literary season with its share of comedy, which will arouse curiosity. I believe it is a season that will make us laugh, cry and above all think. These are all precisely the missions of the theatre.”

One can’t-miss event is the opening night, 5th October, when Francis Huster, alone on stage, evokes one of France’s most celebrated writers in Molière, an event marking the 400th anniversary of his birth.

The theatre is taking pocketbooks into account this season, capping out ticket prices at €38 for known shows and €28 for the new offerings, making them accessible to everyone. This is part of a push to get people back in the habit of going to the theatre after the pandemic years. Additionally, they are trying out new things to attract audiences.

“The public has evolved in recent years,” said Gamerdinger. “This year, we are introducing two new features. First, the shows start at 8pm instead of 8:30pm. This allows you to get out of work quietly and come to the show straight away. And for a drink before, we have set up a catering point, which was missing, in the bar-foyer.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, which go on sale 24th September, visit the Theatre’s website on https://www.tpgmonaco.mc/

 

 

 

Photo by Monaco Life